


(Un)natural Selection

by goodbye_cringe



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - The Selection Fusion, Enjolras Is Bad At Feelings, F/M, M/M, Marius Is Literally A Seabird, Multi, Prince Enjolras, enjonine - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-02-19 12:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 45,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbye_cringe/pseuds/goodbye_cringe
Summary: Enjolras just wants to eliminate the caste system of Illea that's been in place since the country's conception. But planning an revolution is hard when there are thirty-five young women all competing for your hand in marriage. As a Six, Éponine wants to create a better life for her sister and escape her abusive parents. But winning over the Prince is hard to do when you can't even walk in high heels.
Relationships: Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy, Enjolras/Éponine Thénardier, Joly/Bossuet Laigle/Musichetta
Comments: 52
Kudos: 85





	1. Preface

Eponine 

My parents had been grooming me for the selection since I was born. It was the ultimate con that would secure my family as Ones so they could live the life they always wanted to. My parents were both born as Fours and ran a profitable inn until their scam was uncovered by several Twos. They escaped and lived as Eights for a few years, saving money by selling their children into servitude for several wealthy families until I was born, 6 months after the birth of the crown prince of Illea. The money they made by selling my siblings and scamming was used to buy new identities as Sixes. Their new Identities were as The Jondrettes, humble store clerks, who still scammed on the side.

In order to prepare me for The Selection, my mother made it her priority to ensure that I learned several languages. As a young child, she would drop me off with a family of Fours from New Asia so that I could help around the house. However, my main goal was to become fluent in Chinese, which I did by the age of ten. When my services were no longer required, my mother found me a job with a family that had recently immigrated from France. The Brouder family became my real family. They were Threes and taught Political Science and French at the University of our province, Allin. I would often finish my work early and read through Monsuier Brouder’s books on politics while their newborn son would take his nap. Madame Brouder would always prepare enough breakfast for me but would claim it was an accident because she was used to preparing larger portions from when she was pregnant. 

They repeatedly offered my parents a large sum of money to adopt me as their charge. They offered to give me a formal education so that I could marry into a wealthy family and have all my needs met. My mother claimed to be offended, saying that she had been doing her best to teach my sister and I since we would talk. The ability to read and write above the level of basic sentences was not common for Sixes. Yet, not all Sixes had their daughter for the purpose of The Selection. Not all Sixes watched every Report for the sole purpose of watching the crown prince so they could learn his mannerisms. Not all Sixes would be sold into prostitution if they failed to be selected. Not all Sixes were whipped for failing to accurately recite information from the gossip rags about the prince. 

But then again, I certainly was never like every other Six.


	2. Chapter One

The letter came on a rainy Tuesday a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday. The minute I came home from the Brouder’s my mother pushed me down in a chair with a pen and the application. She placed herself across the table with a glass of cheap whiskey and a cigarette.

  
“Well,” she huffed, “What does it say?” I looked at the already torn envelope. The parchment felt more expensive than the rent for our 1 bedroom apartment. I pulled the letter appeared to be handwritten in beautiful cursive.

  
“It’s a letter saying an eligible girl lives at this address and says one girl from each province will be selected at random.”

  
“Like Hell, it’s a random selection,” my father boomed from his seat on the couch. “We all know they don’t pick any bitch to bring into the castle. They pick well-rounded, educated, and pretty girls. We can only pray that your plain face is overshadowed by your brains.” At this point, he was standing, ready for a fight.

  
“Just read the application so we know you won’t try to pull anything stupid. Unless you’ve been missing Montparnasse.”

  
As soon as I heard his name I broke out into a cold sweat and felt violently ill. Montparnasse was a Four that lived on the other side of town. He became interested in my father's crime tactics a few years ago so he would often hang around the house past curfew. I guess that it had started with some comments about my figure. My father made it very clear that I had to remain a virgin until after The Selection, but that didn't mean I still couldn't be profitable for my father. From the way our interactions usually went Montparnasse wasn't even interested in taking my virginity. His pay was for more violent experiences that would often leave me unable to sit down or lift my arms for a few days after. I picked up the pen with a shaky hand.

"What is your name? Eponine Valerie Jondrette,” my mother gave me a nod of approval to continue. My parents were pleased that the application asked how many languages I spoke.

Even though there was a University in Allin, the majority of citizens were Fours, Sixes, and Sevens. Allin was frequently known as a vacation spot in the warmer months, but the rocky terrain made it difficult to establish factories and large cities. I was by far one of the best candidates for the Selection from my province, but that meant nothing since the other provinces were far wealthier. Even though The Selection was commonly advertised as being decided by random chance, many people realized that they wouldn't ask for specific information out of applicants.

The rest of the night continued without any more mentions of Montparnasse. After several hours of bickering between my parents, 'Zelma and I were finally left to our pullout couch. As we sat got ready for bed, I paid extra attention to my twelve year old sister.

  
"Let my brush your hair, Zelma," I said picking my old wooden comb.

  
"You haven't brushed my hair since I was a toddler, 'Ponine," she laughed, putting on her night shirt.

  
"Well I haven't been jealous of your beautiful golden locks since you were a toddler. Now I have less desire to cut your hair and take it for my own." We sat in silence for a few minutes while I tried to comb out a few knots.

  
"Ponine," Alzelma's voice was quieter than before,"if you get selected, don't write to us."

  
"Why wouldn't I write to you? I'm not just going to leave you to the wolves," I said, my voice becoming defensive.

  
"It's not that I don't want to hear from you, it's just I don't want them to get the satisfaction of thinking you care about them. I'll write to you, even if I have to sneak letters to the Province Service Office after curfew. Just don't write back to me, I'll have plenty of time to hear about it after you marry Prince Julien," she said, turning around to smile at me.

  
"That's ridiculous 'Zelma. Even if I get selected, and that's a big if, there's no way I would win. I probably wouldn't even make it past the first cut. We are sixes. Queen Caroline was a two, and I remember Mother complaining about how no one in King Orson's Elite were below a Three. Higher caste means higher the chances of winning."

  
"I don't think Prince Julien cares about castes. I hear a lot of people talk about him while I walk to work. All of the Sevens and Sixes love him because of his work with the Les Amis."

The Les Amis were a group of young men from around the world that were known for their liberal views on castes and monarchy. According to the Report Prince Julien encountered them while he was working with dignitaries in France. I could remember how passionate he was when he was explaining their ideals, but I could never understand why the King would let him make announcements about a group that was against the basis of Illea's social society.

  
"Okay 'Zelma. If you won't let me write to you I'll have to find some way to know that you're being taken care of. You know they'll blow the compensation and it'll be just like when 'Roche left," I could see her body tense. "If I get selected, I will make sure that you take my job with the Brouders."

  
"That won't help me much, they'll expect all my wages."

  
"Then I'll send the Brouders my stipend so they can use it to buy you food."

  
"Mom and Dad will notice that they aren't getting any money. They'd probably knock down the doors of the palace to get their money." I could hear the sadness in her voice and it broke my heart.

  
"I'll send them some too. Enough to pay all the bills and a little extra so they won't get suspicious. I won't let anything happen to you, even if I can't write back to you. If I have to beg the Prince to let me come home so I can make sure they aren't beating you I will.

  
"But you know," her voice sounded lighter, "this is all hypothetical." I laughed and hugged her tightly.

  
"You're right 'Zelma. It's all hypothetical."

The next day, my mother woke me earlier than usual to make sure my hair was tamed for when I went to drop off my application at the Province Services Office. Most of the time our apartment didn’t get running water since my parents chose to spend their money on other luxuries. They must have decided to cut back on the alcohol and cigarettes this month to prepare for any guests. My mother cursed me as she brushed my hair, chastising me on my wild mane.

I settled on one of my nicer pairs of jeans, even though they wouldn’t be visible in the picture, and an old yellow blouse that only had a few holes toward the bottom. New clothes were not a viable way to spend money, considering most nights Alzelma and I fell asleep listening to our hungry stomachs. Once my hair was less fizzy than when I woke up this morning, mom chased me out of the house with my application in hand. When I finally got to the Province Service Office, there were about fifty girls with their mothers and sisters in front of me. I recognized a few girls that lived in our apartment complex but decided to keep my head down, knowing how many neighbors despised my parents for their late-night arguments. When it was finally my turn I handed my application to the tired office worker.

  
“You actually think you have a chance to get picked or are you stupid?”

  
“I’m not sure yet. We’ll find out in a month or so,” I said, trying not to let this man’s attitude interfere with the picture that probably dozens of palace officials would look at during the vetting process. As I prepared for the picture I made sure I had one emotion in my eyes: determination.


	3. Chapter 3

Enjolras

This whole process was a ridiculous waste of time. There were hundreds of thousands of eligible girls in Illea that would be applying, and half of them would be eliminated based on their castes alone. During my father’s Selection, his Elite strictly consisted of Threes and Twos. That bastard knew that I thought the practice was barbaric. To select random women and parade them across the Report, publicizing private information, and making a game out of the whole courting process. Maybe I wouldn’t be so upset if I actually had any intention to marry. I thought by inviting Les Amis de ABC to study with me in the palace would make it very clear to my father that I had no intention of marriage. It seemed only to provoke him

As I made my way to what my mother referred to as the Men’s Room, a butler made eye contact with me. He had a wild mop of black curls that were highly uncharacteristic to palace staff. He must have been new. 

“Your Highness, the selection process has been completed and the women’s applications are at your desk in the Men’s Room,” he said bowing deeply. He must have definitely been new to the palace. 

“Thank you, sir. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you yet. What is your name?” He looked at me with his eyes like saucers. 

“Grantaire, Your Highness. I have been charged with the Men’s Room for The Selection. It is a great honor,” he bowed again. 

“Well, I hope you enjoy the experience. I’m sure the Men’s Room will be all a buzz during these next few weeks.” I continued with an extra speed in my stride. 

Just as I expected, Les Amis had devoured the 35 files. They were so engrossed that they didn’t even notice my presence, not even Combeferre. I decided to let them have their fun while it lasted. Picking up a book on foreign trade agreements I sat in an armchair by the windows. 

“Incredible! They picked Teresa Gilbert! She just started a new role as a genius teen doctor! I can’t believe she applied for this!” 

“She’s nothing compared to this girl, she’s spent her entire life in underdeveloped countries providing an education to the less fortunate.”

“Are you hearing this Julien?” Combeferre called out to me without moving his head away from the file he was reading. 

“Hearing the first descriptions of the poor women that will have to get through our marble man? He’s probably already decided who he’s throwing out,” Courfeyrac laughed. I stood up, closing my book. 

“You know, since the eight of you appear to be absolutely useless until I acknowledge these 35 women, why don’t you put yourselves to use. Divide the girls up and give me a presentation on all of them after I announce their names on the Report this evening. You can be as creative as you want, but we will use this as an opportunity to develop oral communication skills and time-sensitive projects.” The boys nodded along with my suggestion. Satisfied, I decided to take my book up to my bedroom.

“Oh and remember, your argument should not be caste influenced,” I added before closing the door behind me. That should keep them contained for a few hours. 

Despite my usual tendencies to immediately choose a strategy for any given situation, The Selection had been beyond difficult to analyze. I had already watched any recorded footages from my parent’s selection and found that my father appeared to be a completely different man. The strict, almost dictator-like father that had raised me was at point a charismatic teenager. Or was that all a part of his strategy? There was no doubt that I could play the part of an optimistic and hopeless romantic. If I were to act cold towards all my suitors they would become afraid of me and would possibly sabotage their chances. Or course, at the end of the day I still had to find someone I could tolerate for the rest of my life.


	4. Chapter 4

Eponiné

Over the next few weeks, I made sure that I was paying extra attention to how Azelma was being treated by my parents. I had always been treated differently because of my purpose, but of course, they had beaten me when I was younger. The scars were old but present in sporadic places. A few on my back, one on my stomach, and that ran across the palms of my hands. But after Azelma had been born it was like they had made their own personal punching bag. It stopped for a while after Gavroche was born, but when he ran away a few years ago my parents took a turn for the worst. Azelma would be in so much pain she couldn’t even get out of bed some days. During those days Madame Brouder always sent me home with some extra food. I’m not sure how she knew something was going on, because we never talked about anything related to my family. 

On the day of announcements, the Brouder’s sent me home early with a loaf of bread and some cheese, just in case the outcome was less than desirable. I immediately hid the food under a loose panel beneath the sofa. My mother quickly emerged in what appeared to have been a new, or rarely worn, dress. 

“Why are you still in those dirty old things?” She asked as if she owned many clothes better than mine.

“I just got back from work.”

“Oh did you?” She held out her hand. I took my wages out of the pocket and gave them to her. How could I have thought she would forget, even with The Selection being announced in less than an hour. 

“Good. Now go change into something presentable,” she waved me away. 

I wanted to turn around and tell her that there was a one and million chance that I would ever become a princess. I wanted to tell her that even though I had spent my entire life watching the prince, all I had learned was that he appeared cold and distant. I wanted to take Azelma and run away to the Brouder’s house where we would be raised with love and compassion. However, on the slim chance that I did get selected, I didn’t want Prince Julien to meet me with a black eye.

I decided to put on the blouse that I wore on the day I turned in my application. There wasn’t much point in dressing up unless the entire apartment complex wanted to break curfew in order to congratulate me for not getting selected. After I turned in my application I started to notice things about other girls that I hadn’t noticed before. I noticed how the girl that worked at the grocery store always had a smile on her face, which made her more attractive. I noticed how the girl that lived next to the Brouders always sang in a smooth, beautiful voice when she came home from school. I noticed how dark the circles under my eyes were and how all I was just skin and bones. According to my mother, who was unusually heavy set for our caste, men really only cared about your physical assets. 

When I emerged from the bathroom I found that my parents had settled onto the couch and turned on the preview of the Report. Azlema was in the kitchen portioning out rice and chicken for dinner.

“Oh, there he is! Our future son-in-law!” I wondered how ridiculous my mother sounded to the neighbors, since everyone with a daughter would be thinking the same thing.

I turned towards the small television to observe the prince. As long as I could remember, he always had a head of loose golden curls. There was a difference between his and Azelma’s hair. Azelma’s hair, no matter how blonde, had always appeared dull, while the prince’s hair seemed to radiate. His demeanor had been the same since he had started addressing the country: passionate, serious, and made of stone. The Report had never shown the prince to show any sort of emotion. The Queen was known for her compassion and empathy when she addressed the Nation, but maybe that was because she was a woman. Queen Caroline always had kind eyes and a gentle voice that partnered with her desire to provide education to children of all castes. Did I have compassion in my eyes, or did I appear as cold as the prince?

“Azelma you brat bring us our damn food!” my father demanded, flicking cigarette ash onto the floor. 

“Here you go, don’t choke on the chicken bone,” ‘Zelma walked two plates over to the couch. I pulled a wooden chair up next to the couch and motioned for Azlema to sit at my feet. I began to play with her hair as I watched Kyran Cervantes, the royal announcer, interview Queen Caroline.

“Your Majesty, can you believe it has been twenty beutiful years since your time in the Selection?” Kyran asked, smiling with his pearly white teeth.

“Don’t remind me, Kyran,” the queen laughed,”it feels like just yesterday I was a bundle of nerves dressed up in a fancy gown.”

“I never would have been able to guess! In fact, if I remember correctly, the public loved you for your graceful and calm demeanor.”

“Oh course they did! I was always calmest when Orson was with me, and I still am,” she smiled and looked over to the King who was beaming at her.

“The citizens of Illea are completely indebted to the last Selection which brought together our wonderful King and Queen. And now it is time to continue the noble Enjolras line! We have hundreds of thousands of young ladies anxiously awaiting to find out if they will have a chance to win over our beloved Crown Prince Julien,” the camera panned to the prince, who had an unusual gleam in his eye. 

“Your Majesty, do you have any advice for the Selected?” The Queen didn’t even hesitate with her answer.

“Ladies. You will laugh, you will cry and there will be days when you will question why you ever even applied. So my advice is this: just have fun. You will never do anything like this again so enjoy it! Just be yourself and let your light shine,” there were those compassionate eyes. 

“What inspiration words of wisdom Queen Carolina. We are all honored to be your subjects, but not as honored as Prince Julien is to be your son,” Kyran said, walking over to the Prince’s seat.

“Speaking of Prince Julien, how are you fairing on this momentous night?”

What happened next truly shocked me. The all serious, marble man that I had grown up observing, chuckled. 

“I’ve never seen him even smile,” Azelma said, looking up towards me.

“Maybe he just had some wine before going on the air,” I suggested as she turned back around to the television. 

“I’m excited for this great opportunity I have ahead of me. I think I’m even more excited for the wonderful young ladies whose lives will be changed tonight.” 

“Speaking of those wonderful young ladies, do you already know who they are?” Kyran comically leaned in, as to hide the prince’s response from the King and Queen. 

“Funny enough, all the files of the selected girls are on my desk, however I’ve been so busy today that I haven’t had a single moment to look them over. In fact, I want this year’s selection to be a bit different,” the camera panned to the King and Queen, eyeing each other. 

“For this selection, I have no desire to know what caste each Selected girl is from. I want to ensure that all of Illea knows that my intentions are pure. And for that reason,” he said standing, “I must bid everyone a goodnight and congratulations to all of the lucky Selected! I might not want to know the castes, but I know many of you do.” 

With that, he shook Kryan’s hand, kissed his mother on the cheek, and left the studio.

“What an incredible statement by our future King! And with that, let us reveal the thirty-five young ladies chosen for the Selection. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating the following Daughters of Illéa!”

The screen changed so that one side of the screen the King and Queen’s reactions were being shown and on the other, a place for the pictures of the Selected. 

“Miss Iris Hathor of Waverly, Four.” A photo of a tan, freckled girl, maybe a year or two older then me appeared. I wondered how she got all those freckles being a three. 

“Miss Teresa Gilbert of Hansport, Two.” My jaw dropped at the sight of the famous child actress that had starred in almost every movie made in the last ten years. The King nodded his head in approval. 

“Miss Cosette Fauchelevant of Kent, Three.” A porcelain face with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair appeared. My mother spit up her drink.

“Ain’t that the brat we took in from that whore?” She exclaimed, turning to my father.

“I’ll be damned, I bet that man paid his way up to the Selection too.” Just as I was turning to ask them about why that girl looked so familiar, I caught a sight I never truly thought I would see.

“Miss Eponiné Jondrette of Allens, Six.” 

My heart stopped beating. Azelma screamed, and wrapped herself around me. My parents embraced each other, proud that their ultimate con was finally going to be possible. People in our apartment complex that had never spoken to us ran over to congratulate me. But all I could do was sit, watching the King and Queen stare at my picture in shock. And I knew that I had no chance of winning the Selection.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to COVID-19 I'm officially doing online school for the rest of the semester, so uploads should be pretty regular! A special thank you to Elise for all of the love and support!

During the week after the Selection had been announced I probably slept for an hour or two every night. I couldn’t help but lay awake while Azelma curled her small body around me. The first thing I did after the officials left for the day was run to the Brouder’s house. We didn’t have a phone in the apartment and I needed to tell them about my plans with Azelma. When the front door opened I was immediately embraced by Mrs. Brouder. 

“We are so honored that you came to visit us Éponine,” she said, inviting me inside. 

“I’m so thankful for you Mrs. Brouder,” I said, sitting at the counter while she put on a tea kettle. 

“Please ma chère, call me Justine. You know that I’ve wanted you to stay with us since we first hired you. You always do more than we expect of you. And you’ve been such a help with Mercer.”

“Thank you. It has been such a pleasure to work for you. You’ve always given me food which goes towards keeping ‘Zelma fed. I am indebted to you,” I said, holding out my hands to her. 

“Please take on Azelma as your new housekeeper!” I blurted it out before I could control my mouth.

“Of course, chere! Victor and I see how skinny you two girls are. If your parents would let us, we would love to take care of you,” she said, squeezing my hands. 

“I know, and it means the world to us. Thank you for taking care of her while I’m gone. I have one more request, but it might be more difficult than employing my sister. I want to make sure that my sister is able to eat and maybe even one day have enough saved so she can leave our parents. Would you be willing to receive a small portion of my pay and set it aside for Azelma?” My heart was beating at one hundred miles a minute. I hadn’t even been this nervous when the announcement was made on Friday night. Had it really only been 5 days ago?

“Of course. We would be honored to help Azelma in any way possible,” Mrs. Brouder broke away to prepare the tea, creating a momentary silence between the two of us. 

“Have you observed your competition at all?” she asked, handing me a cup. My eyes widened. How could I have not thought of memorizing every detail I could about the other thirty-four girls. 

“I-I haven’t even considered it yet,” I stammered. 

But Mrs. Brouder had already thought through to the answer of her question. We moved to the living room and re-watch the Report, which is playing on repeat, no doubt so that all of Illea could do just as we were doing, sizing up the competition. Even Mr. Brouder came in holding baby Mercer, making comments about “she won’t make it past the first day” and “she seems to appear too innocent” The whole afternoon just seemed right. Sitting in front of the television holding Mercer while he pulled at my hair. Watching Mr. and Mrs. Brouder hold each other's hands and speak in French about how much they missed Paris. I left the Brouder’s after a few hours and our goodbye almost made me cry. Mercer threw a fit as soon as I handed him back to Mr. Brouder. Mrs. Brouder, or Justine as she insisted I call her, held me in a tight embrace. 

“Montre comme tu es beau,” she whispered in my ear as tears fell down her cheeks. 

Show your beautiful self. I had never thought about being beautiful, in fact, I never thought much about who I was as a person. It wasn’t a luxury afforded to sixes that went to bed hungry most nights. Did people really see something in me aside from the victim of a broken home? As I walked home I thought about what we discussed while watching the Report. Mrs. Brouder insisted that I be myself while interacting with the Prince. Since he didn’t already know my caste he wouldn’t try to pity me for being a Six. Our only hope was that he wouldn't throw me out on the first day for not being proper enough. My mother could try to make sure that I looked good on paper, but there was nothing she could do about my behaviors. By the time I left the Brouder's house the sun was setting and when I returned home there was a tall man sitting at the small table in the kitchen. He introduced himself as Mr. Kent. He was a tall, lean man in a four piece suit that looked very out of place in our dirty old apartment. 

“Lady É ponine, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you,” he nodded his head deeply, and extended his hand.

“Please, the pleasure is all mine,” I said, shaking his hand. 

“I apologize for coming so close to curfew. I planned to be here earlier, but another member of the selected kept me a bit longer then expected. I’m here tonight to present the first stipend to your family and go over a few things with you,” he held out an envelope to mother, who snatched it up. 

“Madame, if you would please sign here saying that you have received your stipend,” she leaned over the table in an awkward position, most likely to show off her breasts. 

“Now I’ve also analyzed your physical examination and it appears that you have several underlying conditions that will need to be treated while you are residing in the castle, and after I’m sure, since you are now a Three-“ My mouth dropped open. My mother dropped the pen she was holding. I could hear Azelma choke on her drink in the living room. 

“Only you, of course, Lady É ponine,” Mr. Kent said, looking at my mother’s hopeful face. “We have found that in past Selections, girls that belonged to the Fourth caste and below had a rather hard time readjusting to their lives before the Selection. Understand that if you win, you and all your family members will become Ones and you will marry the Prince. Now, following your doctor’s orders, when you arrive to the castle you will be following a slightly different diet then the other girls. Since your doctor identified you as being malnourished, your serving sizes during meals will be a bit larger then your competitors. You will also be required to attend weekly appointments with the doctor at the palace. Here is a bottle of vitamins and sleeping aids that you will be responsible for taking here and during the Selection.” Mr. Kent handed me 2 bottles of pills. 

“Why are you giving me sleeping pills?”

“Well, to be honest, you do look a little worse for wear. The Selection is a highly competitive and stressful environment. It’s good to make sure you’re entering fully rested.”

“Of course, Mr. Kent,” my mother said. “Thank you for caring so deeply about my dear daughter’s health. I’ll take these to ensure that she is taking her medication as prescribed,” she said, taking the bottles out of my hands. 

“Excellent. Now if you don’t mind Madame Jondrette, would you and your younger daughter please go to another room so I may discuss some private things with Lady Éponine?”

“Well I’m sure whatever you could say to dear ‘Ponine you could say with her dear mama present,” My mother wrapped her arms around me. I wondered if Mr. Kent could see in tension in my body. 

“Madame, this is a private conversation that I’ve had with 29 other selected girls. It is just a part of the process,” he said, raising his eyebrows. And with a fake smile, she took her check and Azelma into her room.

“Now that it is just the two of us, I must inform you, Éponine, there has never been a Six in the Selected. You are at an extreme disadvantage, even to the Fives. At least they have some sort of talent to offer. Please don’t think that I’m discriminating, one of my cousins married a Six, and I know they’re very happy. However, if the Prince wanted to marry a servant I’m sure he would just take a trip down to the kitchens. But if there were other services you could offer him…”

“Mr. Kent, are you implying that I sleep with the Prince?” This took me aback. Pre-marital sex was illegal and punishable by either a large fine or time in prison. That was why prostitutes made so much money.

“I am implying that you do what any other woman in your position would do.. Of course, you shouldn’t just thrust yourself upon him. He would probably send you home for being too sleazy.”

“Sir, I’m sure any other Six in my position would think the same thing as you, so I don’t take offense. However, I’m sure you’ve read my application so you should know a few things about me. My parents had me for this exact reason. My mother ensured that even though I was unable to attend school, I was educated. I can speak three languages fluently, which is extremely important when interacting with forgein dignitaries. I have also read and discussed multiple books on political science, so I understand the different ways that countries have been run and whether or not these ways were successful. So you’re right, Mr. Kent, I might not be able to paint masterpieces, or use my wealthy, famous family to my advantage. But I can assure you that I’ll be able to talk to Prince Julien about more important things then the weather.” I realized now that at some point I had stood up.

“I’m glad that you have that fight in you Lady Éponine. You’ll need it,” he said, standing up to shake my hand. 

“I’ll escort you out, Mr. Kent,” I opened the door and followed behind him. 

“I do have a question, well more of a request,” I said, looking at my feet.

“First princess lesson, never address the ground when you’re talking,” I looked up at him in front of me.

“Would you be able to send a portion of my stipend to the Brouder family so they can put it aside for my sister? I just don’t trust my parents to manage their money properly.” He immediately began to shake his head and sigh. 

“I’m sorry but the rules concerning the stipend are very strict. Of course I can tell that out of all the selected you are by far the worst off. Your doctor said you should weigh about 40 pounds more than you currently do. I’m sorry, but I just can’t do anything. Strictly speaking, I’m just a messenger to all of you.” He put his hand on my shoulder as I felt my heart drop into my stomach. 

As I watched him walk out to his car I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands. My first mission during my time at the palace was to use the prince so that Azelma could be safe, even if it would cost me the crown.


	6. Chapter 6

Enjolras 

There was no more avoiding it. Thirty-five girls from different backgrounds with different motives were living right below me. I had done everything I could to throw myself more into my work than usual. I had taken to meeting with the dignitaries and pouring over caste-related civil disputes. Of course, my father said that this was the worst way to spend a prince’s time because there were majors and soldiers to deal with those things. However, it would be impossible to abolish the caste system without knowing what the specific problems were. 

“I can’t believe it,” a joyful voice said from the doorway, “I don’t think I know a single man that could work if there were thirty-five women getting makeovers in their basement.”

“Ferre, when have you ever known for me to let women interfere with my work?” I said, turning around in my chair to face him. 

“Well in the sixteen years that we’ve been friends I’ve only known of your relationship with the great Patria. It’s unfortunate you couldn’t marry her,” he said, clicking his tongue. 

“It’s unfortunate I have to marry at all. How am I supposed to change the governing system of Illea when I have to worry about finding a wife? He did this on the purpose, of course, maybe I somehow tipped him off,” I said putting my head in my hands.

“The only thing that tipped off your father was the fact that you invited eight aspiring political figures that are all openly against the caste system. In all actuality, it could be argued that he did you a favor. Imagine if we were all that the media focused on over the next few months? By the time you were made King, every pro-caste politician would have been able to perfect their argument. Of course, I’m sure your father is hoping that the Selection will distract you from your responsibilities and Les Amis.”

“Yes, I’ve already thought about that theory thousands of times over. But what’s stopping me from eliminating thirty tomorrow morning? He never made me commit to a formal timeline-”

“And I’m sure you’ve already thought of the associative repercussions for doing that Julien,” he said, cutting me off. “You already know that the media would have a field day. You would be marked as a heartless slab of marble. Remember, you need the people on your side during the revolution,” Ferre became serious as he sat on the edge of my desk. 

“No matter who I choose, the castes will be divided. Anyone lower than a Four would be seen as a saint to the lower castes, however, the lower castes already stand with our views. We need to secure the support of those who we are removing from power,” I sighed as I restated the facts. 

“We’ve been through this at least a dozen times, Julien. Isn’t that the entire reason you decided to announce that this would be a caste-blind selection? You just need to take it one day at a time. And since there are thirty-five eligible bachelorettes in your home, you should at least give them the respect they deserve,” Combeferre said, standing. 

“I’ve haven’t even met them yet Ferre, how have I already disrespected them?” 

“You don’t know any of their names, you don’t know what they look like, you haven’t bothered to learn a thing about them. But I could guarantee you that every one of those girls knows everything about you.”

“Are you referring to those presentations I put Les Amis in charge of? I swear if Jean Prouvaire’s presentation takes over an hour I’ll leave and simply review the applications in my office… alone.” 

Combeferre chuckled as we walked out of my office. The walk to the Men’s Room was more eventful then I had ever expected. Dozens of servants were making final adjustments to the decorations. There were fresh flowers around every corner, the drapes were open, letting sunlight shine through the halls. As the new butler, Grantaire, opened the door, I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes. The beautiful library space that I used as my philosophical escape to discuss the future of Illea had been turned upside down. Feuilly and Joly were hanging a large piece of white fabric over a large bookshelf, and Bahorel was closing all the drapes so the setting sun didn’t blind anyone. I grabbed a notepad and took a seat next to Courfeyrac in the front row. 

“Your Royal Highness,” Bossuet called out from his place in front of the projector.

“Our fearless leader and marble statue,” Courfeyrac laughed from next to me.

“We, the Friends of the ABC, are proud to present your future wife, or at least the thirty-five possible candidates for the title of Queen Enjolras,” Jean Prouvaire announced as the lights began to dim. 

From behind me, Grantaire was laughing with Bossuet while he turned down the lights. Les Amis began to seat themselves in front of the screen, all armed with several manilla folders which I assumed held the applications of the selected girls.

“First, we will give a brief presentation about each of the thirty-five contestants and then we will tune into the Report and Enjolras will get his first real look at the girls.”

I made a note that if a career in politics never worked out for Prouvaire, he could take Kyran Cervantes’ job. Suddenly, the screen lit up with the faces of thirty-five young women of various appearances, all of which I was sure would be changing drastically during their makeovers. 

“We have decided to present in the order of east coast to the west coast, so first up is the lovely province of Hansport! So please give a warm welcome to Miss Teresa Gilbert!” The screen centered on a girl with near-white hair that was sharply stopped just below her cheek-bones.

“Teresa is nineteen years old and is proud to call Hansport the place of her humble roots. She has been acting in television shows and movies since she was three years old. Her favorite role was a princess during the apocalypse where she learned what it truly took to be a royal! She says that she will never be afraid of the media,” Prouvaire finished, now sounding confident in his game show host role.

There was a massive amount of applause from the boys around me. Looking down at my notepad I jotted down Teresa Gilbert: movie star, 2. There was nothing more, nothing less about this girl. It was only too bad for her that I couldn’t care less about the television industry. Unfortunately, her status as a celebrity made it too easy to know her caste.

“Next up we have Adele Castro of Waverly,” a picture of a mousy looking girl with large green eyes appeared on the screen. 

“At sixteen, Adele is our youngest selected girl, but don’t let that lead you astray because she’s already been quite successful…” Prouvaire continued to explain how she had spent her life volunteering in less developed countries. 

Adele Castro: volunteer, 2 or 3. 

“Now gentlemen, show some love for Miss Eponine Jondrette from Allens,” the face of a tan girl with a wild head of brown hair came over the screen. Despite the large state of her hair, her eyes appeared tired and her cheeks were hollow. 

“Miss Eponine might give our fearless leader a run for his money! In her free time, Eponine enjoys reading about Political Science and learning about other cultures. She can speak English, Chinese, and French fluently,” I couldn’t help but think about how her appearance contradicted her description.

Eponine Jondrette: hungry wildcard, 5 or 3. By the time Prouvaire had finished I had made note of Lucy Frost: artistic, 5, and Harley Housten: average, 4 or 3. Everyone applauded as Jean bowed to take his seat. Joly walked forward and pulled a stack of index cards out of his suit jacket. 

“Moving West we’ll start out in the province of Kent. Miss Cosette Fauchelevent recently returned to Illea after spending about 5 years living in an Abbey in France. Cosette is an avid gardener and has a passion for animals,” Joly rushed as the room admired a pale girl with golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. 

Cosette Fauchelevent: lark, 2 or 3. At some point throughout the presentations, all of the girls started to blur together. A few girls stood out, for example, Liberty Cook: paralyzed, 4. I couldn’t believe how delighted I was when Bossuet finally got to Angles.

“At the age of 20, our oldest contestant is Musichetta Simon. Miss Musichetta has recently begun a career in the prominent modeling agency in Angles. However, prior, she traveled throughout highly impoverished areas of Illea to provide clean drinking water,” Bossuet said, failing to remove his eyes from her picture. The bright color of her red hair caused his bald head to reflect a pinkish color. 

“Excellent job Bossuet,” Prouvaire said, clapping a hand on Bossuet’s back. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Grantaire was passing out refreshments before we settled down to watch the Report. 

“I hope that everyone else is as excited for the next few months as I am,” Courfeyrac called out.

“Now remember my friends,” Combeferre stood, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “We are to remain out of sight out of mind. Unless Enjolras asks for our presence specifically, we are not to interact with the women of the selected. Everyone here is subject to the law,” he called out, staring directly at Courf. 

“Thank you for all of your hard work, my friends,” I said, standing next to Ferre. “I hope that you all feel more comfortable with the process of creating and executing presentations. Even though this may have sounded like a fun and frivolous exercise, it is important to find a way to improve yourself in any situation,” I could hear groans among the group. “However, I am very appreciative of the effort that you put in, and if any of you have any suggestions during this process, please feel free to know. I shall see all of you tomorrow evening for our regularly scheduled meeting.” 

“Won’t you be staying to watch the Report, Enjolras?” Joly asked. 

“I’m afraid I have a very important speech concerning several dignitaries of New Asia that I’ve been neglecting to revise,” I said, making my way towards the door.  
As Grantaire opened the door for me I could hear what seemed to be a stampede of high heeled shoes. I decided to wait until I could no longer hear them, so as not to cause a scene since I wasn’t supposed to meet any of them until tomorrow morning. While looking across my shoulder at the crowd of girls I was taken aback when I felt something collide with me. In the second it took me to turn around, the person was already on the ground. 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, looking around for her heels. “I should have been paying attention to where I was going, but you see my shoe broke and I’ve been trying to keep up with the rest-” 

I think she stopped breathing when she finally looked up at me. 

“I am deeply sorry, Your Highness,” she went into a deep curtsey. 

“The fault is entirely mine Lady... Eponine,” I paused, noting the silver name tag pinned to her green dress. “I should know to pay more attention to my surroundings.” 

I extended my arm to help her up, which she accepted. I could see that the heels on one of her shoes had snapped in half, which must have been the cause for her falling behind. 

“Would it be considered rude for a lady to run down the hall in her bare feet?” She asked in a brazen way.

“I believe that would be classified as a capital offense.” I smiled thinking of how the royal planner and etiquette instructor Claudia would throw a fit if she witnessed such an event. 

“Well then maybe you can keep this a secret between just the two of us?” She suggested looking back and forth between me and the rest of the girls. 

“Only if you promise to only wear shoes you can properly walk in.”

She gave a mischievous smirk before running towards the crowd of her competitors. There were several times that she had to stop and pick up her dress to avoid slipping, but she eventually caught up to the group as they entered the Women’s Room. I made a mental note to add the word cheeky next to her name in my notebook.


	7. Chapter 7

Éponine

I kept my head down during dinner and tried to recall the day's events. It had all happened in such a blur, I was actually relieved to have seen footage of it on the Report. Unlike most other provinces, my major didn’t ask me to speak as the entire province came to see me off. He probably thought that I was illiterate. Honestly, I had never seen any of the people that stood in front of me. My only job was to go to work and come straight home and none of that left time for socialization. The closest I came to crying was when I finally found the Brouder family, standing close to the stage. Justine gave an excited wave and Victor held Mercer high in the air so I could see. I wanted to keep staring at them. I wanted to imagine that I was their daughter and that they were proud to be sending me to the selection. But I was just their housekeeper, no matter what the styling team did to me wouldn’t change the fact that I would always be the equivalent to trash in a nice dress. 

The producers made me out to seem calm and charismatic as I hugged Azelma goodbye. Neither of us cried since we had done all of that last night. She gave me a piece of red ribbon that she would use to do her hair up during special occasions. I used it to tie my hair back to secure my province’s flower, a rose. After Azelma and I parted ways I caught Justine out of the corner of my eyes. 

“Éponine! I have something for you!” She called out as I motioned for the guards to let her through.

In her hands was a small necklace with a golden circular pendant. Upon further inspection, I could see the shape of a rooster. 

“This necklace has been in my family for many generations. It’s tradition to give it to a woman on her wedding day, and as much as I would like to be there when you marry that prince I don’t think your parent’s would appreciate that,” she motioned over to me parents, who were waiting impatiently to give their performance. 

“The rooster symbolizes vigilance and a rebellious attitude, it’s what we French do best,” she laughed, clasping it around my neck. 

“I don’t think the Royal Family would appreciate a princess with a rebellious attitude.”

“No no no, chere! Rebellious meaning to be tough enough to face all the odds in this world and become their master. While you’re in that palace please don’t let the other girls know you’re afraid,” she cried, embracing me. 

“Whoever said I was afraid?” 

“Exactly!”

And then I was released to my parents who made a miraculous display of all sorts of emotions that were deemed unfit for the Report. The only footage of me from Allens was of me hugging Azelma and Justine. The bulk of Kyran’s commentary was from my interactions with the children at the airport in Angeles. To be honest, I didn’t know we were expected to pose for pictures and sign autographs while we walked toward the car, but when the other girls began doing it I immediately felt behind in the competition. Initially, I thought that I had seen Gavroche in the crowd, which was why I ran so recklessly through the guards. However, it turned out to be a young blonde girl with short hair. 

“You’re beautiful, Your Highness,” she curtsied and held out a bouquet of flowers. 

“Oh well, Your Highness is a title meant for princesses, but I’m no princess,” I blushed, accepting her flowers.

“But you will be! My mommy says “That Six girl will win because the prince will pity her!” The large smile on her face showed that she obviously had no idea what her mother meant.

“Sofia! I’m sorry ma’am she must be confused,” her mother cried as she began to rattle excuses.

“Oh it’s no problem!” I smiled through my teeth at the well dressed, higher caste woman. “Your daughter is so lovely, I would love for her to be able to be a princess today! Would you allow her to walk down the red carpet with me?” 

“So you can see that I’m not just some trashy Six,” I thought in my head. 

I thought the mother was going to have a heart attack before she could say yes. So little Sofia and I began to walk together, waving gracefully and curtsying. As we approached children I would ask their parents if they could join our little group. By the time we reached the car, there were probably a dozen young girls smiling and waving at the media. The Report showed pictures of our big group hug before they ran back to their parents. 

“This incredible display of compassion shown by Miss Éponine makes a bold statement,” Kyran’s voice echoed through my head. 

It was that bold statement that made me all of the other girl’s immediate enemy. The only girl that bothered to talk to me during dinner was Cosette, a delicate and ladylike Three. She traveled with me to Angeles but had sat next to another girl. I remembered her as the girl my parent’s recognized from their days scamming at the inn. If she recognized me, she must have been an incredible actress because I wouldn’t have known. But I wasn’t going to make her my enemy too. It definitely wouldn’t have helped my case if the other girls knew that I had run into the Prince on my way to watch the Report. 

I must have asked my maids for a different pair of shoes at least ten times. I had spent an hour flailing around like a baby animal trying to keep my balance in the black heels I was told to wear for dinner. I even argued that with the long grey evening gown on, no one would be able to see my footwear. However, all three of them insisted that the practice would benefit me so that I wouldn’t fall on my face when I met the Prince. I had done better than I expected to do down the stairs to the first floor, but while trying to catch up with the group, I felt my shoe give way, and the heel snap completely in half. I don’t know if it was the fear that I had broken a very expensive looking shoe or the adrenaline from being so far behind the group but I began to run aimlessly down the white marble hallway. 

And boom, I ran into the Crown Prince of Illeá like a freight train. I felt my heart skip a beat, but not out of love at first sight. He was gorgeous of course with his curly, golden hair and rosy cheeks. But his eyes were a fearful icy blue that showed little compassion and mercy. Although, his charming and articulate voice made up for his eyes. For a moment, I didn’t know whether or not I should’ve immediately run towards the girls. I was breaking the rules and whether running into him was an accident or not, he had the right to have me thrown out of the palace. 

“Would it be considered rude for a lady to run down the hall in her bare feet?”

If I was going home I guess I was going out with a bang. And to my surprise, he smiled and returned my straightforward tone.

“I believe that would be classified as a capital offense.” I wanted to tell him that I never took him as the type to joke around but I could see the other girls moving further away and I didn’t want to risk getting caught.

And that was my first interaction with the man I was competing to marry. Thankfully he hadn’t pulled me up by my arm and yelled for the guards to put me on a plane home. 

Cosette talked with me as we walked back up to our assigned rooms. I learned that she had been adopted by her father when she was young and that she didn’t remember much of anything before he found her. The Report labeled her as an early favorite because of her calm and charismatic demeanor. I thought it was ridiculous that people were gathering opinions so early in the Selection. The public didn’t know anything about us aside from how we naturally interacted with a crowd. But I knew how important the crowd's opinion was because there was no chance that the King would allow his son to marry someone hated by the entire country. 

“I wonder if Prince Julien is as excited for tomorrow morning as I am,” Cosette exclaimed as we walked up the stairs.

“I’m sure he must be feeling a bit overwhelmed. I mean we all have an individual bond with him but he has to form thirty-five bonds.” 

“Of course! How self-centered of me,” Cosette’s eyes appeared devastated as she stopped in front of her bedroom door. 

“No don’t be upset. It’s only natural that you’ve been thinking of your perspective and everything has happened so quickly today. Don’t put yourself down.”

Suddenly, Cosette had wrapped herself around me in a hug.

“You know Éponine if I don’t win I really hope you do!” She laughed. 

“Ladies, please don’t loiter. You’ll all need your beauty sleep because you have a long day ahead of you!” Claudia called out, adjusting her well-ironed skirt. 

I quickly walked to my room at the end of the hall. As I entered, I could see my maids stop their chores to come approach me. With one look at the broken shoes in my hand, I couldn’t tell if my oldest maid, Miriam, was going to cry or yell at me. 

“I’m sorry Miriam. When I was walking down the stairs my ankle rolled and the heel just snapped. They were beautiful,” I said, handing them to her. 

“Yes well, I guess I’ll put together a pair of suitable flats for tomorrow, Lady Éponine,” said mumbled, unsure whether or not she should believe me. 

“Are you ready for us to prepare you for bed Lady Éponine?” My smallest maid, Miriam asked with a large smile on her face.

“I really don’t need help getting ready for bed, but thank you for offering,” I waved them away as I walked toward the bathroom.

“With all due respect My Lady,” my third maid, Laila called out, “It is our job to prepare you for tomorrow and if we aren’t able to do our jobs there is no way you will look presentable.”

“Lady Éponine you must understand that you can’t do this without our help,” Mariam said.

“You know better than any other selected girl must understand how important it is for a Six to do their work,” Miriam said, putting her hand on her hip. 

“Miriam, I’m sorry if me being here has offended you in some way, but I’m here. I know I’m nowhere near anyone you’ve probably worked for and you probably think that you shouldn’t even be working for me. But I’m not going anywhere anytime soon and I hope that you aren’t either,” I said, thinking about how the woman tried to help me learn how to walk in high heels for an hour straight. 

Instead of lecturing me like I would have expected from a woman with her strong personality, she took me by the hand and led me towards the bathroom. I had never experienced anything like this bedtime routine. Elise undressed me while Miriam started to run the bath and Laila would ask me questions while she brushed out my hair. I caught a glimpse of myself as I stepped into the bathtub and did a double-take. 

My stylist team had spent several hours making me look as close to royalty as a Six could get. Upon arrival, the three of them all gasped at how much they had ahead of themselves. I was scrubbed and waxed in every possible area after one of the girls sincerely asked if my family was too poor to afford razors. The rubbed all sorts of lotions over me that made me smell sweet and painted my nails, per my request, a nude shade of nail polish.

“I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about me,” I remembered saying to them.

“Of course darling,” one of the stylists sang. “You don’t want to be seen as some gold-digging Six! We’ll just put some extra shine on you!” She exclaimed. 

While they did that extra shine, I learned that my hair was actually a chestnut color instead of a dull brown.

“Your hair color is something that most girls would kill for! No one could get this color out of dye. We’ll just put in some long layers and do a keratin treatment,” she said, even though I didn’t know what any of those words meant. 

Now I was sitting in a bathtub filled with bubbles while someone massaged my scalp. I sat there and thought about Zelma. All of the horrible possibilities piled up in my mind until I could feel a tear fall across my cheek. That was the only thing my maids didn’t ask me about. While Miriam pulled down my bed, Laila wrapped my wet hair around pieces of fabric so they would be curly in the morning. 

“During training we’re taught how to use electrical appliances but I prefer this method. It saves time in the morning so you can sleep in and it doesn’t burn your hair,” she beamed, proud of herself. 

“That’s great Laila,” I smiled, complimenting her. She looked so happy that I thought she was going to cry. 

I thanked my maids for their help as I sat on my bed. I had never felt something more comfortable in my life. It felt like a cloud as I sank into the mattress. Elise and Laila curtsied to excuse themselves for the night while Mariam stayed behind. 

“I’ll be sitting in this chair all night, so if you need anything please just let me know Lady Éponine,” she called out from across the room.

“Wait, you have to sit there and watch me sleep?” I asked sitting up.

“Yes, it’s a safety precaution.”

“Is there any other way to make sure that I’m safe? You shouldn’t have to stay up all night and then work all day tomorrow. I’m sure you don’t get paid enough for that.”

“Lady Éponine, I’ve been a maid here at the palace for nearly twelve years. If I wanted to leave for a higher paying job I would have already. I do this job because I love it and this is the closest I’ll ever be to a higher caste.” 

Her reasoning had taken me aback. I realized that even though we were technically the same caste, Miriam was at the top tier of Sixes while my family was at the bottom. 

“Please, post a guard outside of my door or something, but I can’t sleep with you in the room,” I said standing up. 

“As you wish Lady Éponine,” she said, curtsying out of my room.


	8. Chapter 8

Éponine

As soon as I felt myself falling asleep I could feel Elise jostling my shoulder to try to wake me up. I had no desire to leave the bed even if it meant not getting to meet with Prince Julien. 

“But Lady Éponine, all of the other ladies have been awake for half an hour,” she said with her large eyes. 

The panic that went through my heart made me jump out of the bed and run into the bathroom hyperventilating. 

“Lady Éponine, you’re allowed to sleep in because your routine is far less complicated than the other girls,” Miriam laughed, opening the doors to my large closet. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked as she pulled me inside of the closet. 

“Some of the other ladies have a hair and makeup routine that takes 3 hours while you should only take an hour and a half at the latest,” she said, pulling dresses. 

She seemed to be in a significantly better mood this morning. I could see Laila pulling out brushes and combs at the vanity while Elise began to make my bed. It seemed that they worked as a well oiled machine. Miriam was the captain because of her seniority while Elise appeared to be the youngest and responsible for doing the more mundane tasks. 

“Which dress would you prefer to wear, Lady Éponine?” 

In her hands were two of the most spectacular and extravagant dresses I had seen in my entire life. There was a deep maroon dress that appeared to fall off the shoulder with a thick satin skirt and a sleeveless, tight-fitted grey dress that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. 

“We decided to base your wardrobe on Earth tones. Most of the other girls will be going for light or deep colors to make individual statements, but no one has a neutral wardrobe. Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring if done correctly,” she smiled, obviously very proud of herself. 

In the end I decided on a green dress that was tucked away behind the dozen dresses that I had. I could see the disdain in Miriam’s face when I pulled it down and I could understand why. The dress was some shade of dark green with a full, but not overly large skirt. The top half covered my shoulders and collarbone and even though it was the simplest dress in my closet, it was the nicest thing I had ever worn. Laila braided my hair into a loose and thick bun that was held up by several dozen pins. Finally, under the watchful eye of Miriam, Elise did my makeup. She narrated what she was putting on my face and what it would do for my appearance. 

“This toner has a natural papaya exfoliant that will help to brighten your complexion,” she sang as she spritzed a clear liquid onto my face. 

“What’s papaya?” I asked as she picked up one of the many bottles on the vanity. 

“It’s a fruit. Don’t they have them in Allens?” 

“Probably, my family can only usually only afford rice, beans, bread and pasta,” I said shrugging. 

“Well I’m sure the palace could get as many papayas as you could eat if you got the Prince to ask,” she giggled. 

When my makeup was finished I stood up and looked in the mirror and in the end, I still looked like me. A much better version of the me that entered the palace not even 24 hours ago, but that was aside from the point. Justine and I both agreed that I didn’t want to make it look like I was trying too hard or I would quickly become the least favorite inside and outside of the castle. Before leaving my room, Miriam had me choose my jewelry for the day. There was a golden headband that emulated flowers, a large pair of earrings, golden bands, and several large necklaces. 

“You can wear these as statement pieces to perk up your dress,” she said, motioning towards the larger items. 

After a heavy scolding, Miriam let me settle for the necklace Justine gave me, a pair of small golden stud earrings, and a gold bracelet. She then laid out a pair of heels covered in rhinestones. The shoes were significantly more comfortable then the ones that I wore last night and the heel was noticeably shorter. Deciding to forgo any form of conflict with Miriam this morning, I put them on gladly. Ten minutes until 8 I was out in the hallway making conversation with Cosette who radiated royalty. She wore an off the shoulder baby blue gown with a layered pearl necklace. 

As I looked around the growing group of girls I realized that Miriam had been right when she said everyone would be going for either bright pastels or bold colors. Musichetta Simon came out of her room in what looked to be a plain white wedding dress that glittered when it caught the Sun. Her stylist team had given her at least a foot of red hair extensions that now past her waist. I found myself unable to take my eyes off of her until Claudia came to bring us downstairs.

“Ladies, you all look like you could be princesses this morning,” she said with a frown on her face. It wasn’t hard to tell that she was very upset. 

“I would like to point out that only thirty-four of you are joining the Royal Family for breakfast. After supper last night, Miss Lucy decided to neglect the rules and sought out Prince Julien.”

Gasps and whispers immediately overtook the hall. Cosette and I looked at each other and I worried that she was about to cry. Lucy had been one of three Fives selected.

“Please settle down, ladies. Prince Julien had her immediately disqualified from the selection and she was sent home last night. I hope this serves as a lesson to all of you that we take the rules very seriously.”

As she led us downstairs to the Great Hall many girls were giving their opinion on the Lucy situation. Teresa claimed it was a good thing that “the help” had left before the competition even started because it would be shameful for Prince Julien to marry anyone lower than a Three. I looked around the group to see if the other Fives had reacted to what she had said but they were all deep in conversation with other girls. Liberty Cook, a Three that was wheelchair bound from a boating accident when she was younger, said that she had heard the Guards whispering that Lucy claimed to have been tricked by another girl. 

I tried to imagine who would already be trying to sabotage the competition this early but the thoughts were immediately pushed out of my head upon entering the Great Hall. There was a small camera crew in the corner waiting to film our first interactions with Prince Julien. We were free to sit wherever we liked, probably because we would be in our seats for a bit. Cosette sat behind me and I decided to sit next to one of the Fives, Alyssa. She smiled and adjusted her large purple skirt. 

“Have you ever eaten at a table with so many forks and knives?” She laughed.

“I can definitely say that I’ve never even seen this many forks on a table,” I said looking around for a sign of food. 

“Ladies, this morning we will begin our first etiquette lesson. Someone in this room is going to become a princess and she must be able to meet the royal standards for manners. Now, please unfold your napkin and place it on your lap,” Claudia said holding up a cloth napkin and folding it in the air as a guide. 

This etiquette lesson was harder than learning any language combined. Periodically Claudia would circle around to Alyssa and me to tell us to straighten our backs and lift our chins. Once I turned around to how Cosette looked and I was immediately intimidated. She handled everything with a grace and ease that made her an obviously strong competitor and a dangerous enemy. If Cosette made her approval of me known then maybe that would allow the Threes and Fours to accept me. Just as I felt my stomach begin to demand food the doors opened to reveal several guards and Prince Julien in tow. 

Every girl held her breath and straightened her back when they saw him. 

“Good morning, Your Highness,” Claudia said, entering a deep curtsey. He responded in a curt head nod. 

“Good morning Claudia and good morning ladies,” he said clasping his hands together in front of him. 

“If you don’t mind Claudia I would like to address the women of the Selection for a moment before we proceed,” Claudia took a few steps to the left of the room. 

“Ladies, I am eagerly awaiting the chance to interact with you all but first I would like to make several brief points. For starters this is not a well fact but I prefer to be addressed by my surname as Claudia can verify it is a certain formality that I practice. Secondly, as I said on the Report I want this to be a caste-blind Selection so please do not reveal yours or another lady’s caste. If you break this rule there is a strong possibility that your time here at the palace will end,” a hushed whisper fell across the room.

Claudia took a step forward and cleared her throat, immediately silencing any noise. 

“Now, I will be speaking with all of you one-by-one in private. I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible as I’m sure you’re all anticipating breakfast more than speaking with me,” he joked, walking towards Liberty inviting her over to a few couches in the corner of the room. 

“What are we supposed to talk about?” Alyssa said, panic covering her face. 

“I’m sure he’ll ask us about how we’re liking the palace so far and let the conversation go from there,” I guessed as Cosette turned around to whisper with us. 

We all talked about our rooms, our maids, and our clothes until Enjolras approached Cosette. He met my eyes and to my continuous surprise, smiled at me. 

“If the Lady Éponine would permit, may I please borrow Lady Cosette for a few minutes?” He asked. 

I tried not to let my jaw hit the floor. 

“Luckily for you, Your Highness, the Lady Éponine will permit it,” I said, straightening my back. 

He took Cosette’s arm and turned towards the couches and Alyssa hit my arm. 

“What was that about?” she demanded, looking visibly hurt. 

“I- I don’t know, it was probably just some joke he made because we were all talking,” I stammered, not daring to tell her about our brief encounter. 

“Sure,” she said staring at Enjolras and Cosette interacting. 

While we watched Cosette smile with her large eyes the camera crew approached the two of us. Alyssa quickly recovered from any distress she may have been experiencing before their presence. They asked us how we were enjoying the palace and Alyssa talked about all the beautiful pieces of art since she herself was a painter. The only thing I could think of was the food, since I couldn’t remember the last time I had a meal like last night. 

When Cosette returned from her conversation with Enjolras she looked like she had won the lottery. 

“What did you talk about?” Alyssa asked. 

“Well we started talking about how beautiful the palace was and we talked about home and how I missed our garden, and he asked me if I’d like to tour the garden before dinner this evening,” she whispered. 

Before I could think about congratulating her, I could see a mass of blonde curly hair approaching me and I stood to approach him. I remembered Justine’s advice in the back of my head and after meeting all the girls, I realized how right she was. All of these girls would start with the same strategy, immediately planning on making Enjolras fall in love with them. 

“The strongest love happens when you least expect it. I married my best friend,” I remembered her saying as she looked at Victor. 

Enjolras held out his arm as we walked towards the couches. 

“In case you need help walking in those heels,” he offered. 

“Thank you but I am in much more sensible shoes now,” I declined, holding up the skirt of my dress so he could see my short heels. 

“I’m surprised you’re not barefoot after your run last night,” he whispered as we sat down. 

“I would have come in my slippers but my maids would have thrown a fit,” I laughed.

“How are you getting along with them?” He asked leaning back in his seat.

I hadn’t seen him do that with another girl. Was he comfortable with me because he’d already spoken to me? Or was he comfortable because he had already decided to kick me out?

“Let’s just say that if it weren’t for them I would be sitting here in a nice dress without any makeup and my hair a mess.” 

“Good, that’s why we keep them around,” he said absentmindedly. He must have seen my reaction because he quickly scrambled to make up for what he had just said. 

“Not that that’s the only reason why we keep them around. Many of our servants have families that they need to support and we have a respectably low turnover rate as our average servant works here for upwards of ten years,” he began to ramble. 

“I understand, that’s just how the caste system works. It was just like this in the Old Middle East and many people accepted it,” I said looking at my hands. 

“How do you know about that?” Enjolras asked sitting up. 

“I’ve read some books on how different religions have affected the structure and function of the government.”

“Well you must know that my views on the caste system do not reflect the current state of Illeá. I’m sure you know that I have invited a group of anti-caste sympathizers to stay in the palace.”

“The Friends of the ABC?”

“Yes, after dinner this evening we’ll be holding a meeting in the Men’s Room. If this is something you’re interested in you are more than welcome to join us,”

“Do you ask every girl to join in your political escapades?”

“No, I’m afraid most girls prefer walks around the garden and bowling.”

The way he said it made it sound like he wasn’t looking forward to his date with Cosette. 

“Well everyone came to become your wife, not your political alley. They probably aren’t thinking of the responsibilities of an entire country, they’re just thinking about how they can win over one boy. ”

“You’ve turned out quite different than what I expected Lady Éponine,” he said, writing something on a notepad. 

“And what did you expect of me?” I asked as a butler leaned over to whisper something to Enjolras. 

“Terribly sorry, but it appears we’ve gone quite a bit over our allotted time,” he said standing to button his maroon waistcoat. 

“Will you be answering my question?” I asked, standing. 

“Will you be coming to the meeting tonight?” He asked, his face serious.

“I haven’t found a reason not to yet,” I said, locking as with him as I curtsied. 

“Then all of your questions will be answered tonight,” he bowed. 

As I walked back to my seat I could feel the eyes of the other Selected girls staring at me. I tried to focus solely on Cosette’s beaming face, excited to hear why our conversation ran so long. Alyssa walked past me, not even waiting for Enjolras to approach her. I could see her shake as she curtseyed to him before she sat down on the edge of the couch. 

“Well? What did you talk about?” Cosette asked eagerly.

I don’t know what but I felt very compelled to lie to her even though she had been so kind to me. Maybe she secretly remembered me and was waiting until she could use something against me in the competition. 

“Oh we just talked about movies and how I’ve never been to a movie theatre. He thought that it was a crime and demanded that we watch a movie together after dinner,” I laughed, realizing that I was shaking. 

“Look at us,” Cosette whispered, “we got the first two dates! Oh you must help me pick out the perfect dress for tonight!” 

I let Cosette talk about dresses and hair until the last girls had finished their conversations with Enjolras. Alyssa came back beaming, but wouldn’t elaborate on any details. She probably didn’t trust either of us either. Finally, when I had begun to hallucinate the smell of a warm breakfast, Enjolras went to the front of the room. 

“Ladies thank you for your patience! Please proceed to the Banquet Room and enjoy your breakfast. If I asked you to stay behind, please remain seated.” 

I looked around at the girls that were still sitting and noted that Alyssa was one of them. Maybe it was some special group date with Enjolras during lunch. He did seem pretty eager to make himself busy with us. When we transitioned to the Banquet Room we were greeted by the King and Queen who were reading the morning paper with their coffee. We collectively curtseyed, sat at our assigned seats, and waited for Enjolras to come back. 

We stood to curtsey and sat back in our seats, presumably waiting for the other girls to join us. We all waited in silence until the Butlers began to pour orange juice into our glasses. 

“He must have sent them home,” Musichetta exclaimed from across the table.

While Cosette looked around the room to count I stared at Enjolras. He was rushing to lather a piece of toast in jam, and appeared unbothered by his elimination. 

“There’s twenty-six of us, he sent home eight girls,” Cosette whispered.


	9. Chapter Nine

Éponine

I stared at Enjolras until he left the Banquet Hall after rushing through a piece of toast, two cups of coffee, and a piece of ham. Cosette tried to change the topic of the conversation to lighten the shocked mood, but I was only partially paying attention to her. Enjolras seemed completely unphased and confident as he made idle conversation with The King. I noticed that Enjolras took the majority of his features after his mother who also had golden blonde curls, blue eyes, and a straight nose. However, while his mother had lines around her cheeks from smiling, the worry wrinkles on Enjolras’ forehead matched his father’s. 

After his abrupt departure, Claudia decided that it would be appropriate for us to return to our rooms to write to our family. While consolidating the last twenty-four hours onto paper would have been beneficial, I had barely finished my eggs and toast. On our way back upstairs, Cosette invited me to her room, but I turned her down, finding myself drained from the overwhelming amount of stress associated with talking to a boy. When I walked in my room I didn’t look over to where my maids were cleaning already dustless spots. 

I wanted to throw myself on to my bed and fall asleep until after lunch when Cosette would begin to get ready for her date with Enjolras. But I knew if I messed up my hair and makeup I would have to go through the whole process again. I kicked off my heels as I walked past my bed and settled in a chair next to my balcony. I sat and wondered who I would write my letter to since Zelma didn’t want me writing to her. Would I be overstepping my boundaries to write to Justine? While we had grown close over the last week would she get sick of me, her former housekeeper? Pushing my inferiority complex aside, I grabbed a few pieces of paper and started writing. 

Justine, 

I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you for the beautiful necklace, so thank you. It is without a doubt the nicest thing I own. Although, I now have a closet full of ballgowns and access to nice jewelry, even though none of it really belongs to me. This morning nine girls were eliminated and I know that I shouldn’t be surprised but didn’t expect so many girls to be sent home after a five-minute conversation. 

I’ve befriended Cosette, the Three from with the beautiful golden hair, but I think it was mostly out of fear that she would remember me. When I was very young, Cosette’s mother asked my parents to take care of her until she could find a secure place to live. My parents horribly mistreated Cosette and eventually, Cosette’s father came to claim her. I didn’t even remember her until my mother told me about it the night before I left. But if she doesn’t remember me, it’s good to keep her on my side so that I have a possibility of the higher castes coming to approve of me. 

I haven’t had an opportunity to talk with Enjolras about saving some of my stipend for Azelma, but I’m seeing him tonight so I’ll try to bring it up at the right time. I hope she’s doing well and adjusting to your house. She asked me not to write to her so please send her my love. 

Éponine

I reread the letter several times wondering if it was what a letter should be until I decided that it would suffice. I gave my letter to Miriam and asked her to mail it so I could stop listening to the sound of the sewing machine. I asked Elise if I could go to the kitchen to get some food, but she said that was no task for a lady like me to do as she ran to the kitchen herself. I couldn’t think of another reason to get Laila to leave my room, but I figured she wouldn’t try to talk to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my maids, or I thought of myself as above them in any way, I was just luckier. If you could consider this lucky. Was I supposed to talk to them like we were friends, or did I keep them at a level that Justine had kept with me when I started working for her? 

I decided to take a walk around my room since the entire room was larger than my family’s apartment. Aside from the bed, my favorite part was the balcony which overlooked the gardens that Cosette and Enjolras would be touring. The flowers were vibrant shades of reds, yellows, and oranges arranged into patterns. Everything was completely elaborate yet completely simple. Part of me wanted to jump to the ground and run through the garden in my bare feet while all of the other girls gawked at how unladylike I was. I wanted to wear pants. 

Miriam came back after a few minutes and immediately went back to her sewing. Elise brought back an entire feast of eggs, oatmeal, and fresh fruit. There was no way I would have been able to eat everything she sat in front of me. 

“You’re all welcome to some of this if you’d like, I can’t eat it all by myself,” I laughed nervously. 

Why did talking to my maids make me so nervous? 

“That is completely out of the question, Lady Éponine,” Miriam gasped. 

“Why? Just think of it as a meal between a few friends,” I said, handing a strawberry to Elise. 

“With all due respect ma’am we are not friends. We are your maids, we are here to serve you in whatever needs you may have. You are a Three and we are Sixes, it’s just how it is!” Miriam cried, taking the strawberry from Elise and throwing it in the trash. 

“Before I came here my boss was a Three but I don’t think she ever felt like she was better than me because of her caste. She treated me with the same respect and decency that I treated her with, and she eventually became like a mother towards me,” I said, handing out strawberries to Elise and Laila. 

“Well I certainly can’t sit here and partake in this sort of behavior. Until you need me I will be sewing in the kitchen,” she said picking up the dress she was working on. 

She was graceful even as she stormed out of my room. I sat back in my chair while Laila and Elise exchanged looks. 

“If it makes you feel better, My Lady, she’s always been like this,” Laila said, sitting on the couch at the foot of my bed. 

“Ms. Miriam’s been through some horrible things in the last few we-” 

Whatever Elise was going to say was cut short by Laila’s elbow meeting her ribcage. 

“Elise, that is not our story to tell. If Ms. Miriam feels comfortable disclosing that information she will tell it,” Laila urged. 

“No, Lady Éponine has a right to know that it’s not her fault she’s being treated so cruelly. You see,” Elise said turning to me, “Ms. Miriam had a daughter that entered the Selection, but palace servants aren’t allowed to enter, so we were all surprised when she told us that Sarah had entered.”

“Well if you aren’t allowed to enter, how did she?” I asked. 

“Apparently, she made some deal with an official that thought it would be a good idea for there to be a Six for the first time. She came to work with us the morning before they announced it, beaming about how her connection had told her that they Selected Sarah,” Elise said, looking at the ground. 

“What happened?” 

“Sarah fell down the stairs that afternoon,” Laila said, breaking her silence. “She died.”

“But the Selection Committee still wanted a Six,” Elise brought up. 

“And they picked me?” 

I felt disgusted. I had replaced my maid’s dead daughter in a life-changing competition. Miriam could have become a One, but in one day she lost everything. 

“Ms. Miriam never told us who her contact was, but after Sarah died she became even more dedicated to her job. Whenever she thought we were slacking she would say, ‘We have to do it, we’re Sixes.’”

I lost my appetite for the rest of the day, but thankfully Laila and Elise didn’t say anything about it. I sat in Cosette’s room for two hours while she tried on dress after dress, but still not finding the right one. While most of my dresses were neutral colors, Cosette’s were bright shades of Spring that usually had patterns adorning them. She looked like a princess in every single dress she wore, twirling around in every dress so she could watch the skirt in the wind. Her maids laughed at her antics while they presented new dresses and pieces of jewelry. Finally, she settled for a sleeveless baby blue gown that had a white pattern over the bodice. I caught a glimpse of Enjolras as I walked back to my room but his eyes didn’t meet mine. He looked extremely distraught as his heels dug into the floor. 

Dinner felt like an eternity. Everyone wanted to know how Cosette’s date had gone and what Enjolras was really like. It was obvious that the girls felt more comfortable talking about it since Enjolras wasn’t here. Maybe they were all worried about the eliminations today. I didn’t pay much attention to the conversation and focused on the steak in front of me. I still wasn’t hungry after learning about Miriam’s situation, but I still ate a bit of the steak. I wish I had been hungrier because I couldn’t remember ever tasting anything like this before. Claudia excused me early so that I could have the optimal amount of time to get ready for my date. I felt the daggers of eyes on my back as I left the room, but not just the eyes of the girls. The King and Queen stared at me with a cold stare as I curtseyed out of the room. 

When I entered my room Laila and Elise said Miriam wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be able to help me get ready. I tried not to let the fact that I was here as her dead daughter’s replacement bother me. While Laila was brushing out my hair I could see that Elise had pulled out a maids uniform.

“A butler delivered it just before you arrived. He said that you’ll need to be wearing this when he comes to retrieve you for your date.” 

I was relieved when Laila laughed at my disgusted face. 

“I wouldn’t worry if I were you, Lady Éponine. Prince Enjolras would much rather fly under the radar than cause a scandal,” Laila laughed. 

The uniform was surprisingly comfortable despite the tights, high socks, and vest. I couldn't imagine cleaning in a dress since I was used to cleaning in a pair of jeans and an old shirt stained with bleach. Laila spent at least ten minutes pinning my hair in the cap that all maids were required to wear, giving me instructions on how to take out all of the bobby pins. There was a knock on the door as Elise removed my earrings, Laila opened it to reveal a butler with curly black hair. 

“Lady Éponine,” he bowed, “the Prince sends his apologies that he couldn’t escort you himself so he asked for me to escort you to the meeting this evening.” 

“Oh, well thank you...” 

“Grantaire, ma’am. If it’s alright we should leave now so that we aren’t late,” he said moving towards the hallway. 

“Of course. Thank you Grantaire,” I said, hoping that my discomfort wasn’t obvious. 

As we walked down the hall in silence I wondered if Enjolras did know our castes and was playing a cruel trick on me. Did I have to dress up like this because he was embarrassed of me? Was he worried about what Les Amis would think of me? I stared at the floor until we were approaching the Men’s Room. 

“There’s been a change in plans, My Lady. We need to go to the kitchen before we can go to the meeting,” Grantaire said in a hushed tone. 

“If this is because I haven’t eaten it’s because I haven't been hungry. I know I’m supposed to be gaining weight while I’m here but I can’t stuff myself every meal,” I snapped. 

“No ma’am, we aren’t going to the kitchen for food. The servant’s entrance is the best way out of the palace.”

“Am I being eliminated?” I gasped. 

This was definitely some cruel joke

“Of course not! I don’t know all of the details but for security reasons, the meeting actually didn't take place in the palace. Only a few select members of the Guard know where the Prince is at all times,” he whispered as we entered the kitchen. 

“You’ll need to change into this,” he said, handing me a backpack that contained a pair of pants, a green top, and a leather jacket. 

After I changed, Grantaire led me out of the servant’s entrance and into the passenger seat of a car. Enjolras had changed out of his 4 piece suit and into a pair of black slacks, a red polo, and a baseball cap. 

“I hope you don’t mind the pants, I asked your maids to prepare what they thought you’d be most comfortable in,” he said, putting on a pair of sunglasses. I couldn’t tell if he was wearing them to shield his eyes or his identity. 

“You couldn’t have mentioned this in a letter?” I asked, sounding obviously distressed.

“I had planned on it, but I lost track of time while reviewing the budget proposal for the next Draft. Here put these on, it would be unfortunate if the media saw you out of the palace, ” he said, handing me a pair of sunglasses. 

“Wouldn’t it be more unfortunate if the media saw you out of the palace?” 

“They haven’t caught me yet,” he smirked turning onto the highway. 

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. I thought ladies were supposed to be patient?” 

“Have you seen me do anything remotely similar to a Lady?” I laughed. 

“You wear sunglasses like a true Princess,” he said, turning into a parking lot.

I pulled down my sunglasses so he could see me roll my eyes. 

“You also have the attitude of a true Princess,” he smiled, turning off the car. 

“Are you going to tell me what I’m about to walk into or do I have to keep waiting?” I groaned opening my door. 

“Éponine, I think you can survive walking 20 feet until we get inside.”

“You obviously don’t know me very well, Your Highness,” I said as I dramatically curtseyed for added effect. 

He didn't acknowledge me as he approached the tall brick building where white cursive letters read: Café Musain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO MUCH for the continuous support! I'm so so so sorry for the delay in this chapter, I've been swamped with exams and homework this week.


	10. Chapter Ten

Éponine

The Enjolras that I spent a fun, relaxed car ride with was not the same Enjolras that I was watching give a speech on how Illea’s impoverished differed from the impoverished of other countries. I had seen him give hundreds of speeches and public addresses on the Report, but this was different. During the Report he was calm and collected like his parents, and articulated his points clearly enough for the uneducated to understand. But here, in the secret backroom of some cafe, he used terms that I only come across in Monsieur Brouder’s textbooks. He spoke passionately towards the poverty that Illea created for many innocent families when they assigned the first castes. I wondered if Enjolras had ever seen poverty. Feuilly, a Five that worked as a fan maker, offered me several pieces of paper so I could take notes. As Enjolras finished, I realized I had used 2 pieces of paper. 

“Excellent job, Enjolras,” a thin man with glasses said, standing up to shake Enjolras’ hand. 

“Thank you, Combeferre. I’d like to open the floor for a discussion now,” Enjolras said, taking a sip of water.  
Then the room turned into what I imagined to look like a Parliament. One by one, each man would stand and talk about their experiences, proposed changes, and ask questions. They didn’t always agree with each other, in fact, it seemed the only thing they did agree on was that the caste system was wrong and there needed to be a change. Since they all came from different walks of life they all had solutions they thought would be superior. But they didn’t overly criticize each other, instead, they offered information, statistics, and personal opinions that would improve each other’s arguments. 

“What say you, Lady Éponine?” Combeferre asked as Feuilly finished his statements. 

When all of the men turned around to stare at me, their eyes weren’t daggers. Unlike the Selected girls who were ready to pounce, these men weren’t judgmental. I noticed Enjolras sit up in his chair a little more. 

“I don’t think I’m the best person to give my opinion on this topic. I mean, I’ve never attended law school or college, or high school,” I laughed nervously. 

“Well only a few of us have attended law school, Joly and Combeferre are pursuing careers in medicine, Feuilly and Prouvaire intend on following the arts, and we have several members that plan on finding careers outside of politics,” Enjolras said. 

He wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just pretending to be interested in his politics before he got too far into the competition. 

“Well I really resonated with what you said about how “from equal schools spring an equal society,” I said, reading from my notes. 

“And why is that?” He asked, bringing his pen to his mouth.

“As I said earlier, personally I haven’t received a formal education, and neither have many citizens of Illea. The poverty that lower castes experience doesn’t allow for much growth or advancement in the socio-economic system, which is similar to the point that Mr. Coufeyrac brought up when comparing Illea to France. Even if eventually the caste system dissolved, millions of people would become homeless due to their lack of education. It would be like the caste systems never left because there are people that only know how to work in factories, or make beautiful paintings, or cultivate the land. There has to be massive change over time,” I said, not looking up.

“Do you envision the caste system dissolving?” Enjolras asked. 

“I’ve never seriously thought about it. Every day of my life is the exact same as the day before and I don’t usually have the time to daydream,” I said, locking eyes with him. 

“If Enjolras would permit, Lady Éponine, I have a book on the benefits of education and the impacts on different age groups that you might find very interesting,” Coufeyrac said. 

“Yes, and I have some articles on cultural attitudes and how they affect a changing society,” a bald man said to my left. 

“Excellent my friends! If you would all please give those to Grantaire before lunch tomorrow, I’ll make sure Éponine has them,” Enjolras said, standing. 

We left the cafe shortly after, once I had time to be properly introduced to everyone. Several of the men, like Combeferre and Courfeyrac were Twos, having very important parents. Joly and Jehan Prouvaire were Threes, but the rest of the men, Fueilly, Bossuet, the bald man that offered to lend me some articles, and Bahorel were all members of the lower castes. I was quickly able to notice that they were all surprisingly different in their own ways. When Jehan introduced himself, he presented me with a rose and suggested I wear red more often, as it went well with my tan skin. Joly refused to shake my hand, instead insisted that we bumped elbows to avoid spreading any excessive amounts of germs. Enjolras laughed and shook his head as each member of his misfit group presented themselves to me.

Once we arrived back at the palace, Enjolras sat in his seat for several moments, possibly unsure of how to conclude. I let myself enjoy the comfortable leather seats until the growling of my stomach broke our silence.

“Did you not get enough to eat at dinner?” Enjolras asked. 

“I wasn’t really hungry after breakfast,” I began to explain.

“You didn’t eat lunch or dinner?” He sat up and turned to me.

“Well no, but I didn’t see you at dinner. What did you eat after you scarfed down your coffee and toast?” I asked, turning my body around to him. 

“I enjoyed an apple while I read over some reports,” he said with pride.

“An apple? You’re telling me that you help run the entire country running on coffee, a piece of bread, and an apple?”

“A good leader understands the importance of time management,” he said, sounding offended as he opened his door.

“A good leader understands the importance of self-preservation,” I murmured getting out of the car. 

“What was that?” Enjolras said approaching me.

“I’m just saying that we need you to be on the throne for more than a few years.”

“Who is ‘we’?” 

“I can’t tell you, your rule,” I said, turning to walk away from him, making sure to smirk so he could see that I wasn’t too upset. 

“Well you could at least have a sandwich with me. I’ve spent several hours with you today, Kyran will expect me to know something about you,” he laughed, entering the kitchen. 

“You can’t tell him that I went to your meeting with you?” 

Enjolras shook his head as he looked around the abandoned part of the kitchen we were in. Everything had been cleaned to expert precision, which Enjolras was about to ruin as he began to slice a loaf of bread. 

“So far, the Report only knows the very surface of my involvement with Les Amis, and I’d rather it stay that way. So if anyone asks what we did tonight we’ll try to stay as close to the truth as possible.”

“So you made me dress up in a maid’s uniform so we could eat sandwiches for several hours?” I laughed while he pulled out more sandwich ingredients. 

“Well I’d rather the public not be allowed to analyze that part. What did you tell the other girls?” 

“I just said we were watching a movie.”

“Well then we watched a movie and came down here for a snack. Would you like Turkey or Ham?”

“Ham please. What movie did we watch? What was the plot? Who was the star? These girls are vicious, you know.” 

“Are they? That Cosette girl I took out today was quite lovely,” he said, passing me my sandwich.

“Cosette is probably the sweetest, most genuine girl here. You should keep her for as long as possible,” I said, picking up my sandwich. 

“And how long should I keep you around for?”

I thought about my answer while I chewed. Was it too early to bring up my financial concerns?

“Well, I was hoping you could keep me around long enough for my sister to go to college.”

Enjolras gave me a funny look.

“I mean, I was hoping to talk with you about the stipend. I was hoping that some of it could be sent to another family that would save it for my sister to use. Ideally for college, but also if she needed food and things like that.” 

“What about your parents?”

“My parents aren’t very good at managing money. I just want to make sure that no matter what happens here, she has some security.” 

“Well, thank you for being open and honest with me, Éponine. I’ll see what I can do for your sister. I know if she’s anything like you she’ll benefit greatly from a formal education,” he said before he took a bite of his sandwich. 

“Thank you! You won’t regret this!” 

I could have said a million more thank you’s that would never be equivalent to how I was feeling. 

“Tell me about your sister,” Enjolras said as he sat across from me. 

“To be honest, Azelma is a bit of a hopeless romantic,” I laughed, making circles in the wooden countertop. 

I thought about every boy she would gush over after our parents would fall asleep. From the newspaper boy to that one boy she made eye contact with on the subway, Azelma never failed to fall in love. 

“And you’re not?”

“I don’t have time to fall in love,” I joked, realizing that I just made it sound like I didn’t really want to be here. 

“Then why did you come here?” He said, circling back to the breakfast question. 

“You really want to know that answer to that question, don’t you?”

“I think I can safely assume that every girl is here for her own personal gain. Whether it’s power, privilege, political agenda,” he gave a special pause after that one. 

“I would be very surprised if there was a girl here that actually wanted to marry me because she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me,” he stated. 

“I promise when I figure out why I’m here, you’ll be the first person I tell,” I said, taking another bite of my sandwich. 

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

“What I can tell you is that I’m here right now because a nice guy made me the best sandwich I’ve ever had.”

“Well I’m glad I can impress the ladies with my sandwiches,” he laughed.

“How many other ladies do you bring down here to enjoy sandwiches?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Enjolras laughed again.

The whole situation was oddly surreal. I was sitting across from the boy that I had watched on television eating a sandwich that he made. Enjolras was nothing that I had expected him to be, but then again, what did I expect him to be? We sat in a content silence until the kitchen exploded with shouts and laughter. It sounded like many of the boys had gone drinking after the meeting. Courfeyrac stumbled into the kitchen still holding an empty bottle of beer, but still laughing, which was quite the contrast from how my father handled his alcohol. 

“Éponine I think Combeferre and I have to help these poor men into their beds before they wander somewhere they're not meant to be,” he said standing up. 

“Oh it’s fine, I’ll just go back to my room. It’s a good thing I don’t have to go back upstairs in that stupid maid’s uniform,” I joked. 

“Actually, Éponine, I would prefer if this remained in the utmost secrecy. So even if I was discovered with them, you wouldn’t be associated with us.”

I thought about if that statement was some sort of compliment while I changed back into that stupid uniform to walk back up to my room and wondered if this would all become a regular occurrence. As I walked back upstairs I felt like I wasn't even in a competition to become a princess. For a few hours, I forgot about being a Six, and felt truly equal to Twos and Threes. And as I sat across from Enjolras, equal to even a One. I didn't know if this feeling would last forever, but I did know that I would never be able to go back to my old life. I knew that when I left the competition as a Three I would have to get a degree myself, and hope that I would find someone that would share their ideas with me like I had shared with Enjolras at the meeting tonight.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Enjolras

As I stood in the corner watching girls get their hair and makeup touched up I couldn’t help but wonder what their angles were. For a few like the movie star Teresa their angle was obvious, eternal fame and fortune, but for others like Éponine, it wasn’t as obvious. I stared at Éponine while she talked to Cosette. The two were like day and night. Éponine was in a simple olive gown, possibly the plainest gown that Illeá would see tonight, while Cosette wore a sleeveless sparkly pink gown. Éponine, or at least her maids, had taken to wearing her hair down, while Cosette, and most of the other Selected girls, wore their hair in intricate updos so their faces would be easily seen.   
In my efforts to end the Selection as quickly as possibly I chose a group of four girls to go on a group date with. This way, I could see how they all interacted together and in a group setting. While we were all playing some trivial game of croquet that one of the girls had suggested, I was attempting to guide Liberty, who had never played. All of a sudden two of the girls were wrestling each other on the ground in fit of immature anger. Several guards immediately came to separate the two and carry them away so they could prepare to leave. The biggest disappointment wasn’t even the fight, it was the photographer that was present. Instead of the bill concerning the next Draft being on the front page there was the hair pulling and tears that was turning into my Selection. 

In two weeks, there were only 24 girls left, and this was on track to being the shortest selection in my family’s history. I needed to be strategic about when I sent girls home and when I chose to have a photographer on dates. I didn’t feel confident in having a photographer on the first date, for the sake of the girls, but the public would be demanding pictures sooner than later. I supposed I could see Cosette again at some point this week, maybe host lunch in the garden. I’m sure Éponine would be pleased to hear that I’d be blocking some time off for a meal since she had deemed herself as my “accountability buddy,” since she had come to the conclusion that I lacked self preservation skills. I smiled and decided to come out of my place in the corner to approach Éponine and Cosette. 

“Are the two of you nervous for your first Report?” I asked as they curtseyed. 

“How nervous should we be?” Cosette giggled. 

“Nervous enough so that you’re mindful of your actions, but not nervous enough so that you become physically ill,” I said, thinking about the girl that had gotten sick an hour ago from all of the pressure.

“How are you feeling, Lady Éponine?” 

“A grilled chicken salad with a cup of fruit and a cup of tomato soup,” she said, prideful as she gave me her lunch report.

“Salmon and asparagus.” I said curtly as her smile widened. 

“Not too bad. I think I’m catching the nerves from all the other girls, I mean we’re just sitting and answering a few questions. Kyran won’t even have time to talk to all of us and I’m sitting furthest away from him,” she noted, pointing to a chair on the fourth row. 

“I suppose that’s good news. Well, good luck in advance ladies,” I said, walking towards another group of girls that I had yet to acquaint myself with. 

We made small talk about the weather and about what they had been doing to keep themselves busy. They suggested that we try another attempt at a group date and decorate some sugar cookies. I could tell that they were becoming desperate for my attention and feared that the longer they went without a date meant the closer they got to elimination. However, I felt that each girl deserved a fighting chance. Besides, I had to spend the rest of life with one of these girls and it would be stupid to rush through the whole thing. We had settled on Sunday evening when Claudia came to usher all of the girls to their prospective seats. I settled in my seat behind the podium next to my mother. 

“How have things been going Julien?” She leaned in, watching the producers arrange the girl’s dresses.

“Things have been productive. I’ve seen ten girls and I’m seeing four more Sunday evening,” I said, while a makeup artist came over.

“Another group date, dear? After the last one I would have thought-” 

She would have thought I’d narrow it down to The Elite out of a furious rage. Combeferre might have referred to me as a hothead at times, but I always tried to remain logical. 

“These girls are under an extensive amount of stress that I’m sure you remember,” I edged as she clicked her tongue. 

“Yes well,” she paused until the makeup artist was finished, “the future Queen of Illeá should not let the extensive stress of the Selection get to her. When you know she’s the one, she’ll know, they all will. You’ll begin to treat her differently without even realizing it,” she said in a state of reminiscence. 

“Thank you Mother. I’m sure they would all look forward to hearing some advice from you.”

“I gave them their advice, but at this point, there really isn’t anything else I could say that would make this any better for them,” she breathed, sitting up as she saw my father enter the room. 

A few minutes later the cameras started rolling and the anthem of Illeá began to play in the background. The backs of every single girl automatically straightened and their face lit up with smiles, even Éponine, who appeared to be shaking. 

“People of Illeá, the palace has been bustling with more than the usual excitement surrounding the Selection. Tonight, we’re going to meet the lovely ladies of this Selection and hear how things are coming with Prince Julien. Speaking of our beloved Prince, how are you doing Your Highness?”

Typically, every eye in the room was on me as I waited to give my response. Tonight’s theme was light and pleasant. Keep down the mentions of the rebellious outbursts in several of the provinces to a minimum. The Selection had to serve as a beacon of hope and distraction from all of the poverty. 

“I’m doing fantastic, Kyran. How are you this evening?” I asked, crossing my legs to appear at ease. 

“I’m wonderful, Your Highness, thank you for asking. So are we in the presence of twenty-six possible Princesses tonight?”

Light and pleasant. 

“Well for the most part every one of these girls possesses the same poise and grace as my lovely mother.” 

“Only most of them?” 

The girls immediately began to whisper among themselves. I hoped Eponine had a good enough sense of humor to let me get away with this without facing too many repercussions. 

“The first time I met this girl she had such difficulty walking in her shoes that she fell right in front of me. Since then I’ve made her promise that she won’t wear high heels until she can walk in them,” I laughed. 

“So she’s still with us?” Kyran smiled, eyeing the girls.

“Yes, of course. I couldn’t send her away because of a genuine mistake, and I’m very glad I made that decision,” I said, thinking about Éponine’s participation in the meetings. 

“Well Illeá, tonight we will be having a fashion show to find this mystery girl of Prince Julien. So first up, feel free to show us our fancy footwear Miss Musichetta Simon of Angles!” 

Several of the girls hiked their bold dresses up past their knees in an attempt to be seductive. Other girls waited until they had already kissed Kyran on the cheek to build suspension in the audience before they revealed that they weren’t the mystery girl. Throughout the interview Kyran asked about any dates the girls might have gone on and how they went. Girls that hadn’t been on a date with me talked about how they were spending their free time and what their favorite part of the palace was. 

“Now please welcome Miss Éponine Jondrette of Allens!” 

Everyone applauded as Éponine made her way down the stairs and I could only notice how straight she was standing. I could only hope that she had enough time to organize her thoughts on how she would present herself. I didn’t know how the rest of the girls viewed her and I could only hope that I didn’t create twenty-five enemies for her. When she reached Kyran he had to bend his knees so that she could kiss his cheek. After several seconds, Éponine stuck a single foot out from under her dress so she could reveal a simple grey flat. 

“It appears that we’ve found our mystery girl!” Kyran exclaimed as they sat down. 

“Guilty as charged,” she laughed, holding her hands up. 

“You must tell us the full story,” Kyran laughed. 

“Well it was our first night in the palace and my maids had picked out the most beautiful shoes that I’ve ever seen. But I’ve never worn high heels before and when we were walking to the Great Room my heel broke.”

“No,” Kyran gasped. 

“Yes,” Éponine insisted,” I had fallen behind the rest of the girls and I panicked because I didn’t want to get in trouble for loitering. So I started running towards the girls and I literally ran into Prince Enjolras,” she said, making eye contact with me.

“What happened,” Kyran asked on the edge of his seat.

“Of course I started to apologize profusely, he helped me up, and I asked him if it would be unladylike to run back towards the girls,” she said in a light voice. 

“What happened next?”

“Why don’t you ask Prince Enjolras for his side of the story?” She said, calling me out.

I knew he wouldn’t let me off that easily like any of the other girls would have. In just two meetings I learned that Éponine was strong willed and fiercely loyal to beliefs concerning the impoverished. 

“Of course, it really was mostly my fault. I was leaving the Men’s Room and thought I had narrowly avoided an early meeting with all of the girls. I was distracted watching the group and I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. I helped Éponine to her feet, apologized, and told her that it was a capital offense to run barefoot through the palace.”

That line got a laugh out of the girls. During the rest of her interview, Éponine answered questions about our two “dates” since she was the only girl that had seen me twice. She played it off as if lying was second nature to her, saying that she believed the only reason I had seen her twice was because we were watching a series of highly addictive movies. I made sure to make a mental note to visit her after dinner to apologize and congratulate her.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Éponine

I was sitting on my balcony reading over the letter that Justine had sent to me when I heard the knock on the door. After all of the stares I got during dining I just wanted to stay here, away from everyone else. But the knocking persisted and it took all of my willpower to wrap myself in my robe to answer the door. Enjolras was standing outside of my room still in his four piece suit. 

“Well I feel terribly overdressed,” he greeted. 

“I would have stayed in my dress if I would have known you were coming. Now you have to see me with my hair wrapped like a crazy person,” I laughed motioning at the rags Laila had arranged. 

“If you don’t mind I don’t mind. May I come in?” He asked while we awkwardly stood in my doorway.

“Oh, sorry. Come right in,” I said, holding out my arm. 

“I see you didn’t change any of the decor,” he noted looking around while I retrieved my letter from the balcony. 

“I don’t mean to sound plain but this room is perfect just the way it is. This room is bigger than my family’s apartment so I’d be fine if there was just a bed in here.”

“So you’ve never had a room to yourself?” He asked, sitting on the couch at the foot of my bed. 

I decided to swallow my pride for the next ten minutes in order to push some bonding. 

“A bed. I’ve never had a bed to myself,” I said looking at him. 

I could tell that this struck a nerve with Enjolras and could see the wheels turning in his brain. 

“Serious note aside,” I said sitting on my bed, “why are you gracing me with your presence tonight?”

I could actually see his mind switch tracks. 

“I came to apologize for throwing you under the bus during the Report. I should have asked you permission before telling the entire country about our secret encounter. I was just trying to keep the mood light so Kyran wouldn’t bring up that horrible fight,” he said, turning around to face me. 

“Oh, don’t apologize. I was actually going to say the same thing for when I threw Kyran’s question back at you,” I laughed. 

“No need to apologize. I also came to congratulate you on your first Report of many. I met with Combeferre after and he said that you were very composed and charismatic.”

My first Report of many? Did that mean he kept on keeping me around? Was he going to every girl’s room to congratulate her?

“It’s probably thanks to the meetings. Thanks to you I feel much more comfortable talking in a group setting.” 

“The pleasure is mine. Have you ever considered furthering your education Éponine?” He asked, sitting up straight. 

“Never seriously, since I technically don’t have an education to advance. I know I said I didn’t go to high school, but I’ve even never been inside a school. I mean the only reason I can read is because my mother wanted to prepare me for the Selection,” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. 

“That sounds very considerate of her. What are your parents like? I’ve really only heard you talk about your sister.”

I felt my heart rate increase. My mouth became dry and I struggled to swallow. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t lie about my parents. Why couldn’t I tell Enjolras that his possible future in-laws were the perfect couple with no sort of criminal history? I had never had any trouble lying. It was a survival tactic engrained for personal protection. 

“Éponine? Are you alright Éponine?” Enjolras asked, moving to sit next to me on the bed.

“Sorry. I just need some fresh air, it’s a bit hot in here,” I lied, moving towards the balcony. 

It was a horrible lie. The room was the perfect temperature, just like the entire palace. Everything and everyone here was perfect. 

“I’m terribly sorry for offending you, Éponine,” he apologized, approaching me. 

“No I’m not offended. I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed,” I breathed, feeling the cool breeze on my skin.

“Yes of course. I shouldn’t have come to your room unannounced after your first interview on the Report. I’ll let you get some sleep,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. 

I could feel an excessive amount of heat on my shoulder. I turned my head to look at Enjolras and I was immediately disgusted at the amount of sympathy on his face. It was the face that my neighbors gave me after listening to my parents argue all night. It was the face my stylist gave to me when he first looked at me. It was the face that every Five and above gave to me when they saw me walk to work in the morning. That sympathetic face evoked a different kind of anger that coursed through my body. I stood in place to watch Enjolras walk towards the door. 

“Should I send for one of your maids?” He asked as he opened the door. 

“No thank you. They should be allowed to sleep at night,” I said. 

“I’ll post a guard outside of your door tonight, just in case,” he persisted. 

“Thank you, Enjolras.”

“It’s my pleasure, Éponine. I’ll see you for the meeting tomorrow,” he said, closing the door. 

I stood outside until I felt calm enough to get into bed without crying. Everything part of me hated that Enjolras and I had yet to learn anything deeper about each other than our political opinions. I remembered how Cosette asked him about her life at home and how Enjolras said that her father sounded admirable. But she probably didn’t tell him about her father rescuing her from my family. 

As I walked towards my bed, I picked up the picture of ‘Zelma that Justine sent me in her letter. My parents didn’t believe in spending money on pictures so I didn’t have any with me when I came to the palace. In this picture, Azelma was holding a cup of tea in the Brouder’s kitchen. Her curly blonde hair was pulled in a messy ponytail while she worked, and she was wearing one of my old T-shirts. I wondered if she regretted asking me not to write to her and if she was taking the blunt of my parent’s aggression again. I wondered if Enjolras could let me call her so I could make sure she was okay. 

The next morning I took breakfast in my room while Mariam chastised me about needing to sleep more. Our relationship had greatly increased since Laila and Elise had told me about her daughter. When I decided to let her fuss over my appearance she became much more agreeable, and I became used to her presence. I was curious how the other girls interacted with their maids and remembered the constant commotion I could hear from Tereasa’s room, which was across from mine. Before her first date with Enjolras we could hear her throw a vase at one of her maids, who narrowly missed it, and flew at the wall. 

“After you finish your breakfast you’ll need to go see the Doctor in the infirmary,” Miriam reminded me. 

“If it makes you feel better, Miriam had to let out some of your dresses,” Elise chimed from my vanity. 

It was my second time making a trip to the Palace’s Infirmary during my stay. During the last visit the Doctor said that I needed to gain at least two more pounds to stay on track, but I wasn’t feeling optimistic about my odds. As I walked towards the Infirmary I smiled at Grantaire, who guarded the Men’s Room. Grantaire and I had become acquainted since he walked me to the kitchen before every meeting. I learned that he had a real passion for painting and that he dreamed to one day save enough money to become a Five. At one point we spoke about our worst experiences as Sixes, which for Grantaire was only a few months ago. He said that he had lost his job and become a roaring alcoholic before he applied for a position at the palace. But the bright smile on his face as he waved back to me said that he was doing much better now then a few months ago.

When I entered the Infirmary I was surprised to be greeted by Joly and Combeferre instead of my usual Doctor. 

“What brings you in today Éponine?” Combeferre asked, pulling out a chair for me to sit in. 

“I had an appointment to have my weight recorded today. If this isn’t a good time I could come back later.”

“Dr. Tapp was called away for a few hours, but Joly and I would be happy to weigh you. Only if it’s okay with you, of course,” Combeferre said, pushing up his glasses. 

“I don’t mind at all,” I said sitting down.

“Excellent, I’ll go look for your file,” he said leaving the room. 

“Would you mind changing into this gown for me?” Joly asked, holding out the thin slip that I wore in my last appointment. 

“Not at all,” I said, walking towards the divider in the corner of the room.

“How have you been Joly?” I asked, deciding to make small talk.

“I’ve been closely monitoring the pollen count for this week, which looks dreadful by the way. Needless to say I’ve been a bit agitated this week,” he said, the frustration in his voice evident. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I sympathized. “Have you been doing that breathing treatment you mentioned in the last meeting?” 

“Twice a day and whenever Combeferre says I’m getting out of hand. I’ve found it to be quite effective, but lacks a long term effect.”

“Maybe you could try yoga, the woman I work for goes three times a week to help lower her stress,” I said, walking out from behind the divider. 

“Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll be sure to add it to my ever growing list,” he said, sanitizing his hands for the second time since I walked in. 

“Now, sit tall and take some deep breaths while I listen to you,” he said as I sat down. 

Combeferre came back with my file while Joly was putting something around my pointer finger to measure my oxygen levels.

“How have you been sleeping Éponine?” Combeferre asked.

“Well, to be honest every day I feel like it’s time to wake up as soon as I fall asleep,” I laughed while Joly removed the sensor. 

“So the sleeping pills you were prescribed a few weeks ago haven’t been working?” 

“No they haven’t,” I said, looking at the ground.

I would dare to tell him that I’d never taken a sleeping pill before in my life, or that my mother probably sold them for booze money. 

“I’ll talk to Doctor Tapp about getting you a stronger prescription. I also see that your blood pressure is a bit elevated, have you been feeling a bit stressed?”

“I mean, I’m only here competing against a bunch of girls for a guy that’s out of my league, so yes I would say I’m feeling a bit stressed,” I sighed, partially relieved to finally tell someone. 

“Why do you think Julien is out of your league?” Joly asked in shock. 

“Because he’s a Prince. A highly educated, well-versed, charismatic, and all too perfect Prince. And I’m a housekeeper,” I stumbled.

“Éponine, I’ve known Enjolras for sixteen years, and trust me when I say, he is the least perfect person in the entire palace,” Combeferre comforted. 

“Yeah well the only flaw I’ve found is that he lacks self-preservation skills. God, I can’t even talk to him about anything personal. He came to my room last night to apologize for throwing me under the bus during the Report and I freaked out. He asked me about my parents and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, so he left.”

I felt a tear hit my wrist. Was I actually crying over some guy? Joly and Combeferre exchanged a look.

“I know that this experience might be difficult for you, especially since you’re a Six,” Combeferre began. 

My head snapped up when he said Six. The entire time I had been here no one had addressed my caste specifically to my face. 

“When Énjolras says he doesn’t want to know your caste it’s because he’s trying to show Illea that society can be so much more than a caste system. You’ve been to the meetings, you know how Enjy gets when he gives his speeches.”

“It’s like nothing else in the world matters,” I said aimlessly. 

“Because to Enjolras, nothing except for Illeá matters. That’s why he skips meals, why he doesn’t go on a date every single day, why he insists on going by his surname. Nothing in the world trumps the future of Illeá,” Combeferre finished. 

“Was that supposed to be a pep talk? Because if it was, it sucked,” I laughed as Joly handed me a tissue. 

“It was meant to be informative. All of these girls here think that they’re competing to be first, but they’re really just competing for second place to the country.”

“What about me? Aren’t I one of these girls?”

“You might be. But it might help you to know that you’re the only Selected girl that Enjolras ever talks about,” Combeferre said, helping me over to the scale. 

The stupid light that lit in my chest my bright enough to help me through the rest of my time in the infirmary. Even though I had actually lost two pounds instead of gaining them, I was still happy. I had a new found hope that was going to get me through the other girl’s stares and day spent practicing my high heel skills. I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot while I walked back to my room. Azelma would have a chance to go to school and we would be able to move out of Allens. Just as I was thinking about what to Justine in my next letter I smelt a nauseating amount of pine. It smelt like an expensive bottle of cologne that only one person that I knew would wear. 

“Well if it ain’t the little Lady ‘Ponine,” a dark voice snarled from behind me.


	13. Chapter 13

Enjolras

I could see the bruise on Éponine’s wrist before she even got in the car. She had deep circles under her eyes that made her cheeks look more hollow than usual. 

“How are you doing on this glorious Saturday?” I said, handing her a pair of sunglasses. 

“I’m fine,” she said, in an unusually quiet voice. 

“What’s happened to your wrist?” 

“Oh, I was trying a bracelet earlier and it got stuck on my wrist. My maids had to pry it off of my arm without breaking it. I’m sure it’s worth more money than I make an entire year,” she laughed. 

I decided not to push it any further and let silence overtake the car during the drive to the cafe. I knew that the stress of the competition was starting to get to Éponine, but she had too much potential. I figured that Courfeyrac would have some helpful advice and decided to consult after the meeting. I ran through my speech as I drove, since Éponine didn’t seem to be in the mood to converse. 

When we finally arrived at the Musican Éponine broke her silence. 

“I’m sorry Enjolras, I guess I’m just a little on edge. I’m supposed to gain 4 pounds by next week, and it hasn’t been going very well,” she said looking at her hands. 

Of course I had noticed how skinny she was, but I didn’t think it was that bad. How many people in her situation were malnourished and hungry. 

“4 seems like quite a lot in seven days,” I sympathized. 

“I’m eating twice as much as the other girls and I still managed to loose two pounds since last week,” she chuckled. 

“Well maybe you just need to reduce some stress,” I said getting out of the car. 

“We have history lessons everyday, then some sort of Princess lesson, and then we spend the rest of our time waiting for you. In my free time I try to avoid the Women's Room and prepare for tonight.”

“Is tonight special for you?” I asked, opening the door for her.

“Well, this is the only part of my week that I’m not glared at whenever I speak. It’s bad enough that I’m the only girl that’s seen you three times, it only makes things worse that I’m-” she cut herself off. 

“You’re what?” I asked as she walked ahead of me to the backroom. 

“Going to be sent home if I finish that sentence,” she smirked. 

It was the first real smile I had seen from her in at least a week. When we entered the room she went ahead to speak with Feuilly and Bahorel, leaving me with my lieutenants. It was refreshing to be in Éponine’s company since every other girl I had been out with clung to my side like a leech. Even Liberty, who I heard was adamant on no one pushing her wheelchair, had insisted that I push her.

“How have you been faring Enjy? Found that wife of yours yet?” Courfeyrac laughed handing me a drink. 

“I haven’t even sifted through half of them yet, Fey. And I’m afraid the only one that’s different is about to crack,” I said watching Éponine. 

“Why would you say that, Enjolras? What’s wrong with Éponine?”

“I think she’s worried about all of the associated formalities that come with royalty. However, I’m technically not allowed to interfere with these manners,” I sighed.

“Don’t even say another word, mon ami,” Courfeyrac laughed, placing his hand on my shoulder. 

“Well then let’s get started with the meeting,” I said, taking my place in front of the tables.

This week I decided to stress the importance of revolution to Les Amis. 

“Welcome everyone. As we begin this meeting I’d like everyone to close their eyes and imagine sitting at a banquet table during a feast. You’re sitting next to your parents, siblings, cousins, and some family members you might not even know. However, at the beginning of the meal you notice a man that they’d never met at the end of the table. This outlier is poorly dressed and obviously hungry. I’m sure that you feel a strong desire to give this man food and warm clothes, but doing so would require you to give up good conversation and maybe even experience some strange looks from your family members. 

Would you go help the man at the end of the table? Many people wouldn’t because by doing so they too might become outliers to those they care about. However, I must stress to you that this is the right thing to do. Our current status quo must be broken so that we can build it back up correctly. It is not right for those at the middle of the banquet table to have so much when there are people that have so little,” I paused, noting that Éponine had stopped taking notes. 

“May I interject?” She said standing. 

“Of course, Éponine,” I said, taking a sip of water. 

“If it’s wrong for the privileged to have so much, why are you okay with living in such luxurious palace?” 

The room went quiet as everyone immediately turned to me. In all honestly I was surprised no one had asked sooner.

“This is actually a question that keeps me up at night. I’ve made so many lists of the pros and cons that I could recite them in my sleep. The palace employs hundreds of jobs to citizens and if we were to suddenly downsize the unemployment rate would skyrocket. The Royal Family must also present themselves in a way that reflects a positive image of Illeá to foreign countries. If you don’t mind me playing devil’s advocate, in the last five years the palace has decreased spending by almost 20 percent.”

“So what will you do when you’re King?” 

“Several tedious things, Éponine. Decrease the Royal budget to go towards the caste relief program, increase job opportunities, and bring in business from other countries. However, if you’re looking for an answer that includes instant gratification you might be hoping for revolution.”

Éponine’s eyes widened as if I had just sent her home. 

“You would commit treason against your father?” She asked sitting down.

“During this modern age we have different techniques,” I laughed. 

Éponine was very vocal throughout the entire meeting. Even after the meeting and during the car ride back to the palace. When we arrived back she lingered at a counter in the kitchen. 

“So you have to gain four pounds?” I asked as she sat down.

“Mhmmm” she hummed.

“Well how would you like a peanut butter and banana sandwich? Maybe one sandwich will go a long way,” I proposed with my limited medical knowledge. 

“I’ll never deny a sandwich made by a Prince,” she laughed.

I pulled out the bread from a cupboard and took a deep breath. 

“Éponine, since we’ve been on three dates, the public will be expecting an inside look on our relationship. Would you like to get dinner on Thursday night?”

“Will you be cooking?” she smirked. 

Why did I expect Éponine to give me a straightforward answer?

“It may come as some of a shock to you, but my cooking skills stop at sandwiches,” I said lathering on a layer of peanut butter. 

“Sure, I guess I could carve some time out of my busy schedule.” 

“Yes, all of that time standing around and waiting for me,” I sighed. 

“You don’t have to sound so upset about having several dozen girls at your beck and call,” she laughed.

“Actually, I never wanted to have a Selection. I’ve never had plans on marrying.”

“Ah, so Combeferre and Joly weren’t lying earlier.” 

“No, I was furious when my father made the announcement. But Ferre was able to convince me that a wife would be good for my image. If Illea sees that I can be compassionate and caring my politics will seem less radical.”

“You do get quite passionate during those meetings,” she smiled as I handed her a sandwich. 

“And I hope to find someone that can handle those passionate meetings.”

“Then you should bring all of the other girls to the meeting. I’m sure some of them would love them,” she groaned.

“I think you mean some of them would love to agree with me,” I said, slicing two more pieces of bread. 

“Don’t knock it before you’re tried,” she mumbled. 

“Are you encouraging me to go dates with multiple women?”

“I won’t get very far if I play the jealous type, or would I?”

“No, you’re right. Jealousy is not a desirable trait, but given the circumstances I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a common emotion.”

“Well yeah, if you’re watching someone you love go on multiple dates with other women,” she said standing up to put her plate in the sink.

“So you don’t love me?” I asked, smiling.

“Sorry to disappoint, but no. You’re a really nice guy but I’ve only known you for a few weeks, Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever been in love,” she said, jumping on top of the counter. 

“Me neither, which is why I guess we’re both floundering,” I laughed, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“Floundering? I didn’t know I was doing that badly,” she said as her eyes widened. 

“I mean, I’d be worried if you were already head over heels in love with me. But I’m surprised no other guys spent eighteen years throwing themselves at you.” 

Éponine’s face twisted into an odd expression as she stared at the bruise on her wrist. Almost immediately she slid off of the counter and started walking towards the door. 

“I-It’s getting late. I should get to bed so my maids don’t yell at me for getting dark circles. I’ll see you for dinner though!” She called, picking up the maid’s uniform. 

Once again, as soon as I felt like I was getting somewhere with Éponine she pushed away.


	14. Chapter 14

Éponine

“I’m pleased to announce that the Queen’s Annual Garden Party will take place one week from now! Her Majesty will be welcoming 500 citizens that have dedicated their lives to the betterment of Illeá through the practice of civil servitude. You will be expected to be the epitome of grace and manners, which is why we will be replacing history lessons with more etiquette lessons,” Claudia beamed. 

The room became a buzz with girls smiling and giggling. Cosette turned to me beaming with excitement. While I was relieved to take a break from history lessons, etiquette could be equivalent to a death sentence. 

“Oh Éponine, I need to tell my maids so they can get started on the perfect dress! I’m thinking a light baby blue so I can have little flowers in my hair,” she giggled. 

“That sounds beautiful. You’ll look amazing,” I said half heartedly. 

I didn’t need to tell Cosette that she would look great because it was just common knowledge. I focussed on staying awake rather than paying attention to the rest of the girl’s conversations. Even with the sleeping pills that Combeferre had prescribed I hadn’t been able to sleep since the nightmares started. After he cornered me in the hallway all I could see were his dark brown eyes and yellow smile. Montraparnese had tried to kiss me, which only resulted in his physical assault to the groin.

It was the first time my maids had seen me really lose it during my stay. Elise let me collapse into her arms while Laila went to get Mariam. After I calmed down Laila spent nearly an hour rotating between hot and cold compresses on my arm. The bruise that he had left on my wrist was an ugly red that Laila was unable to cover before my date with Enjolras. I didn’t tell them who did it to me because I remembered what Parnese yelled as I ran towards my room.

“I’d be careful who you tell about this, unless you plan on telling him about us.”

If I told Enjolras, he would find out about my history with Montraparnese and I’d be expelled from the Selection. Who could know what my father told Parnese before he was drafted. Did he know about Cosette? 

“Éponine, can you repeat what I just said about the difference between drinking coffee and tea?” Claudia asked, marching in front of my seat. 

“Ummm,” I stalled looking around the room.

Some girls were giving a vicious smile, happy to see who they believed to be Enjolras’ favorite fail in class. Some girls, like Cosette, looked horrified knowing that my failure would be reported to the King and Queen. Claudia, however, showed no emotion, as she always remained a neutral character. 

“You put your pinky out when you sip tea?” I guessed.

The room immediately erupted into laughter. 

“Musichetta, can you please help Éponine correct her mistake?”

“Of course Claudia! When drinking tea the middle finger supports the bottom of the cup and the thumb and index finger grip the handle. When drinking coffee, you can loop the index finger through the handle. Don’t worry Éponine, I made that mistake the first time I dined with members of a royal family,” she smiled. 

For the most part I found Musichetta’s comment to be mostly empathetic. 

I tried to hide in my seat during the rest of the lesson while other girls demonstrated their superior knowledge. Why couldn’t Royals learn about pickpocketing or how to lie? I would excel in those lessons. As the clock signalled that the hour of etiquette lessons had passed, I attempted to be the first person out of the door.

“May I speak with you for a moment, Éponine?” Claudia called. 

“Might as well go pack your bags, Six,” Teresa sneered. 

“Might as well go pack your attitude. It’ll be awhile before I care about what you think of me,” I smirked, wrinkling my nose. 

“Miss Jondrette,” Claudia began. “You are obviously at a disadvantage here because of your upbringing, so I don’t fault you for that. However, at this rate it will take you a year before you’re at the level of some other girls. Now I am aware that you’ve been on several dates with Prince Enjolras, but I am obligated to report your progress to the King and Queen.”

“Well can’t we just do some extra meetings? I mean I’ve been trying to practice with my maids, but they can only help so much.”

“I’m not permitted to fulfill any such request unless you are chosen as one of The Elite. I suggest that you ask one of the other girls to help you. I just want you to know that if you can’t perform basic etiquette it doesn’t matter how much the Prince likes you, the King and Queen would never approve.”

Claudia didn’t say anything in a condescending tone. Although it was very easy to perceive it as such. If she didn’t want me to succeed she wouldn’t have talked to me today. I left feeling a strange pull between defensive and thankful. 

“Lady Éponine,” I heard a voice call from behind me. 

I turned around to see Bossuet jogging towards me. 

“Would you be so kind to join Les Amis in the Men’s Room?” He asked with a cheery expression on his face. 

“If I’m permitted in the Men’s Room then I would be honored to dine with you,” I smiled. 

Lunch with Les Amis would be a refreshing change from the girls. Most of them had started to warm up to me, but a few were still acting like pompous princesses. As we approached the door I noticed that this was the first time I hadn’t seen Grantaire standing outside. Bossuet must have noticed my face because he laughed.

“Grantaire will be assisting with today’s demonstration, My Lady,” he said as we walked into the Men’s Room. 

“Please Bossuet, just call me Éponine. We’re both Sixes, there’s no need for formalities.”

“Actually, when addressing the future Princess of Illeá, we would prefer to use proper formalities,” Courfeyrac smiled. 

All of the boys were standing in a line behind a small table set for four people. The Men’s Room was brighter than the backroom of the Musain, and every boy appeared relaxed. 

“You must have the wrong Selected girl. I was just told no matter how much Enjolras likes me I’ll never be royal until I can learn some manners.”

“That’s exactly why we’ve asked you here today! We, with the great aid of Grantaire, will be leading etiquette lessons in preparation of the Queen’s Garden Party,” Courfeyrac beamed. 

“Éponine if you’d please sit here,” Combeferre said, pulling out a chair. 

I sat down in the chair as Bahorel, Fueilly, and Bossuet joined me at the table. Joly, Jehan Prouvaire, and Courfeyrac stood behind them while Combeferre remained behind me. 

“Everyone will have some one on one instruction while we go through lunch. Grantaire will be serving and I’m sure he’ll help as much as possible,” Courfeyrac said. 

With Courfeyrac as my guide I felt comfortable and confident. His gentle reminders how to hold each glass and which utensil to use were subtle. For once I wasn’t the worst person at the table. During the first course Bossuet dropped his glass, leaving water and broken glass covering the table. It took two more courses for Joly to stop worrying about glass shards. Feuilly slurped everything that entered his mouth, which made Jehan Prouvaire almost lose his calm demeanor. Bahorel did well until he asked if he could light a cigarette during dessert. 

“Clearly, we need to do a few more of these before the Garden Party,” Combeferre said, pinching his nose. 

“Come on, Ferre you have to give Éponine the credit she’s due. She was by far the best at the table.”

“Oh no, I definitely shouldn’t be called the best,” I said, shaking my hands. 

“I think we could make an argument,” I heard a voice say from behind me. 

“Enjolras, Anna said she was having lunch with you.” 

“We did, it was informative. Excuse me Friends, but I need to speak with Éponine,” he said, holding out his hand. 

I grabbed Enjolras’s hand and waved to Les Amis as we exited the Men’s Room. We walked down the long hallway until entering the garden.

“So is there any particular reason you’re gracing me with your presence so unexpectedly?” I asked, as we walked on a pebble trail. 

“You’ve inspired me to make an important decision,” he smiled. 

“Why aren’t I excited?”

“Because there’s a possibility that it involves your money. Your points about the lavish spendings surrounding the Selection made me realize that my future wife isn’t here for the money. So I decided to forgo the stipend for all natural born Fours and higher. The money saved will go towards the Caste Relief Program,” Enjolras said, holding his breath. 

“Only Fours and higher?” I asked.

“Well from my research all of the lower castes need the stipend. With a few Fours its need is debatable, but for the most part the Fours can do without it.”

“I mean what’s a few months stipend for a lifetime of security?” I turned to face him. 

“Exactly. You’re only the second girl I’ve told so I would appreciate it if it could stay between us until I tell everyone. I hope to finish sometime this evening, and announce it to the media tomorrow morning.”

“That’s a good decision. People will see you as generous and considerate,” I said, sitting on a bench. 

“Well what do you see me as?” He asked, sitting next to me. 

Did my heart skip a beat? No. Would any other girl have gone into cardiac arrest? Yes. 

“I see you as a man with good intentions that is passionate about his beliefs. You’re a good person,” I noted, nodding my head.

“You are too. A good person I mean,” he said, looking into my eyes. 

My heart ignited with rage. I want to stand up and scream about how he didn’t know anything about me. But I didn’t stand and scream, I could only stare at my hands, folded neatly in my lap. Enjolras could never know anything about Éponine Thenardier. 

“I hate to contradict, Your Highness, but I am not a good person. I’ve never done anything good in my life.”

“You’re humble too,” he smiled, not taking me seriously. 

“No, Enjolras. I’ve never done anything with a good intention in my life. At the last meeting when you were describing the banquet and how all of us would help the hungry man, I didn’t. I didn’t get up from my seat to give him my food, even though I knew everything that man was feeling. I’ve been hungry,” I said, my thought trailing off. 

“I can understand, Éponine,” Enjolras said, putting his hand on my shoulder. 

“I’m sorry but you really can’t. There was a summer a few years ago when I hadn’t seen my father in days. Azelma and I were sure he had died in some alley. My mother was inconsolable and refused to leave her room. There was a point when I was staring out of a window in our apartment and I started to hallucinate. ‘Zelma said I opened the window and tried to jump, but she pulled me back,” I remembered, feeling a tear fall on my wrist. 

There was a bit of a pause while Enjolras gathered his thoughts. 

“I am truly sorry, Éponine,” was all he said. 

We sat together in silence for a bit. I watched two Blue Jays play in a birdbath while Enjolras stared at them. He wasn’t really watching, it was just where his eyes had landed. He walked me to the Women’s Room, where he asked for Cosette to join him in the hallway. He didn’t say goodbye, which was fine because I didn’t know if I wanted to address him. I wasn’t angry with his reaction, or lack thereof. 

As I read in the corner of the Women’s Room I heard Musichetta whisper to some other girls. 

“I don’t know what happened on their date but she was hysterical when she came back to her room. I tried to watch her from my room but a guard came and shut the door,” she exclaimed. 

“That’s horrible. She must have done something horrible to be sent home after just a lunch,” Liberty said. 

Enjolras had sent Anne home right before he talked to me. He didn’t seem remotely affected by his sudden elimination, or any of the previous ones. Maybe his lack of reaction had shown me a colder side of him. 

I stayed in the Women’s Room for a few hours and watched as Enjolras called girl after girl. After talking to Cosette about Anne’s elimination I decided to go back to my room and take a nap before dinner. When I arrived, Elise nearly attacked me with her excitement. 

“This arrived for you about an hour ago!” She said, holding out an envelope addressed to me. 

Éponine, 

I’m sorry I didn’t have more to say earlier. You stated that you didn’t think that you were a good person, so I’ve compiled a list of every good thing you’ve done since you’ve been in the Selection. Thank you for confiding such an intimate story to me, and I promise that I won’t repeat it to anyone else. I’m looking forward to a real date with you on Thursday. 

E


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! I just finished my final exams and I've determined Zoom University is NOT for me! I hope everyone is staying safe and surviving quarantine!!!

Éponine

I stood with the rest of the Selected Girls behind the red rope that sectioned us off from the rest of the guests. Most of the girls were smiling with their mimosas in hand waiting in line to be interviewed. Cosette and Iris were being interviewed together in their complimentary shades of pink and blue. Musichetta was pushing Liberty to a place in the shade and Teresa could be heard arguing with Claudia to let her wear a pair of gody sunglasses. I figured that Enjolras would come out with The Queen when she was announced so I sipped on my drink until Cosette was finished with the press. 

“Éponine I haven’t been able to tell you yet but Coral looks lovely on you!” Cosette beamed. 

“Thank you! I can honestly say I was surprised when my maids showed me the dress since most of the time they design more neutral toned dresses,” I smiled, just in case anyone was taking any pictures. 

“You look great in those colors, but it’s nice to see you in something bright for a change.” 

“Do you think we’ll have to spend the whole time behind this rope?” I asked, as Cosette accepted a drink from Iris. 

“I think I heard Claudia telling Teresa that once the Queen arrives Enjolras will take turns escorting us around to keep the guests engaged,” Iris piped. 

“I wonder if we’ll meet anyone of extreme importance,” Cosette said, looking at the crowd. 

“We’re guests of The King and Queen, and no one here could be more important than them.”

“The Guest of Honor rescued thirty people from a factory fire a few months ago. I hear the King will be awarding him a medal for his heroism,” I said, remembering that was the reason Enjolras had been late to our date. 

“Yes well he’s also an amputee now. Take that as you may,” Iris murmured. 

“Don’t be such an ableist,” I stated. “Liberty will run over your foot if she hears you.” 

“Well she’ll have to catch me first,” Iris said. 

Just then, trumpets began to blow to announce Queen Carolina’s arrival. We turned to watch as Enjolras escorted her down the stairs to a podium. To my right, Iris began to fan herself, but it wasn’t due to the heat. Girls around me began to giggle and whisper as they continued to stare at Enjolras, who was in his military uniform. 

“He does look extremely handsome with that sword,” Cosette blushed. 

By all definitions, Enjolras was attractive, but I would have thought that after being at the palace for two months the other girls would have gotten used to it. I didn’t realize until Laila had food poisoning a few days ago that I had become reliant on her scalp massages. Now I realized why they made girls Threes, because when I went home I would never be able to live with my parents. Musichetta told us at breakfast that Anne was already engaged to a Two in Angles, less than two weeks after being sent home. When each of us left the competition we would be sought after because of our positions.

Maybe a nice Three would want me and we could take Azelma and move far away from Allens. I thought about if I had any chance with any upper caste men until I heard applause. Queen Carolina had just finished her speech and was beginning her trip around the garden. Enjolras made his way over to our section and requested Liberty, probably because the first section of guests were on tile. 

“Éponine, the press would like a word,” Claudia said, offering to take my drink. 

“Thank you Claudia,” I said, giving the glass to her and making my way towards the camera and interviewer. 

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with us Lady Éponine!” The cheery interviewer said as I sat on the stool. 

“The pleasure is all mine,” I said, forcing a smile. 

“So we hear that you recently went on another date with Prince Julien. What was it like?”

“Well this date was a bit different than our previous dates. As I’ve discussed on the Report, we normally watch the new episode of Law and Order. But this time we had a beautiful dinner in the garden,” I said. 

“Do you mind disclosing what you talked about?” 

“Of course not. We talked about books that we’ve recently read, how incredible the food is here at the palace, our favorite childhood memories, mostly the “getting to know you” topic.”

“Anything more?” She said, holding up the cover of “Illeá Weekly.”

The caption read ‘The Prince and The Pauper… In Love?’ in bold white lettering. Enjolras had leaned over the table to get a dead bug out of my hair after we had finished discussing Joly’s severe case of Hypochondria. 

“Prince Enjolras was being kind enough to get a bug out of my hair,” I laughed, playing the cover down. 

I didn’t want the other girls to see me as more of a threat to their game. 

“I’m sure that was what was going on. How would you describe your relationship with our beloved Prince?” 

I had to be strategic and smart here. 

“Enjolras has become a great friend to me during my time here. We share a lot of common interests and passions but we also challenge each other. So I would say we’re doing okay,” I said, continuing to smile. 

“I’m sure you and Enjolras are doing better than okay,” the interviewer said, smirking. 

I immediately realized my mistake and knew that every attempt to downplay my relationship with Enjolras had failed. I made sure that I didn’t let my persona falter while the camera was rolling. I made a beeline for the refreshment station so I could down my pride with a mimosa. 

“Make sure you don’t drink too much before Enjolras takes you out to the crowd,” I heard an amused voice say from behind me. 

“Thanks Musichetta, I guess I just let that reporter get to me a little,” I said, setting my glass on the bar. 

“Please, call me Chetta. It happens to the best of us. If it weren’t for my fair share of warnings I would have been in several scandals by now,” she laughed. 

I realized that this was my first time talking to Musichetta by myself as she was very selective of who she allied herself with. She had received a moderate amount of praise from the gossip rags for her beauty and work with the underprivileged. 

“Éponine, I consider myself a fairly transparent person and I wanted to let you know that I would like to get to know you. You should stick around the Women’s Room more often,” she winked. 

We began to talk about how a few of the other girls appeared to be on the verge of one of the scandals Chetta had mentioned when I saw Enjolras out of the corner of my eye. He was returning to our section while Marissa, a feisty Four, followed a few feet behind him. She looked absolutely dejected as she stumbled into the arms of Claudia, who rushed her inside. 

“Excuse my interruption ladies, but may I borrow you, Éponine,” Enjolras asked, his voice tense. 

“Of course,” I said, excusing myself from Musichetta, who gave me a smirk. 

“Is everything okay, Enjolras?” I asked innocently.

“It appears that Marissa has had a few too many drinks, which I didn’t believe was possible from mimosas,” he said, bringing his hand to the bridge of his nose. 

“You’d be surprised at how low a beginner’s alcohol tolerance is,” I said mindlessly as I hooked arm arm through Enjolras’s. 

“It was such an embarrassment. I had to excuse us because she was about to throw up on the Viscount de Gillenormand’s shoes. The man is already a raging royalist and I would hate to put his grandson in such an uncomfortable position,” Enjolras grumbled. 

“So I’m your damage control?” I laughed. 

“You are who I feel most confident in, as long as you don’t mention politics to him.”

“Then why bring me over at all?” I asked, knowing that our relationship was strictly reliant on politics at this point in the Selection. 

“Let’s call it a lesson in self-restraint. And to be frank, I feel immensely calmer with you,” Enjolras smiled as we approached a seated old man and a lanky boy. 

“Viscount de Gillenormand I’m pleased to introduce you to the Lady Éponine Jondrette of Allens,” Enjolras said, releasing my arm. 

“A pleasure to meet you young lady,” the older man said in a thick french accent. 

“Please sir, the pleasure is all mine,” I said smiling. 

“Marius, where are your manners?” The older man said, scolding his grandson. 

“My apologies. Marius Pontmercy at your service, Lady Éponine,” the lanky boy said, kissing my hand. 

My skin felt like it was on fire when his lips met my skin. 

“Illeá never fails to surprise me whenever I come to visit. Your rituals are most disturbing at times, Your Highness” grumbled the Viscount. 

“The Selection has been a time-honored tradition since our country's inception. I’m quite exalted to be able to participate in my own Selection,” Enjolras stated. 

If I had just met Enjolras I would have thought he was telling the truth. 

“A Selection seems like such an odd custom for a Frenchman like my grandfather. What are your thoughts on it, Lady Éponine?” Marius asked, placing a hand on his grandfather’s back. 

“Honestly, I’m honored to be a part of such a fantastic tradition. I’ve learned so much during my time here at the palace and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world,” I lied. 

“You seem awfully well put together for a commoner. What’s your rank?” 

“Grandfather, Illeá uses the term caste. It’s more to determine a citizen’s job in society, not their worth,” Marius corrected. 

“Well with Prince Enjolras present I am unable to disclose that information.”

“I don’t know the castes of any of the Selected Women. I want citizens of Illeá to see that I am impartial to caste,” Enjolras explained. 

“Well seems like a waste of effort to me. Marius, would you escort Lady Éponine to get some refreshments for Prince Julien and myself. I have an important matter I would like to discuss in private,” the old man said, sitting up straighter. 

“My Lord, I am very confident in Lady Éponine’s-” Enjolras started

“Forgive me but I am not very confident,” Viscount Gillenormand bellowed. 

Marius and I began to walk to a bar on the other side of the gardens to give his grandfather and Enjolras time to talk. 

“I apologize for my grandfather. His old age has made him quite cynical,” Marius began. 

“It’s okay, I’m a little tougher than I look,” I laughed. 

“You mean you didn’t grow up in heels and fancy dresses?” Marius gasped. 

I impulsively decided that this would be the right time to dust off my old tricks and snatched Marius’s pocket watch while he ordered the drinks. 

“It’s easy to tell that you grew up in heels and fancy dresses,” I smirked, holding the watch up. 

He immediately grabbed at his vest pocket, only to find that he was actually staring at his watch. 

“Where did you learn that?” He asked.

“Let’s just say that castes in Illeá determine a little more than your job in society.”

“That’s terribly unfortunate. You should consider emigrating to France when you’re done here. I can proudly say the worst thing in France is our temper, but I’m sure you already know that,” he said. 

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that your necklace has the Gallic Rooster on it. It’s the French symbol to protest the monarchy in favor of the republic,” Marius explained. 

“My friend gave this to me the day I came to the palace. I had no idea what it meant,” I said, reaching for the necklace Justine gave to me.

“Your friend must think you’re quite the fighter, Lady Éponine,” he smiled, handing me a drink. 

No one had ever called me a fighter.

“Well, Monsieur Marius, if France and I have so much in common I might just have to consider your offer,” I said as we clinked out glasses together before walking back towards Enjolras. 

“If you don’t find it completely inappropriate, I would love to send you some pictures of Paris. So you can prepare for your move, of course.”

“I would deem that as quite appropriate,” I blushed. 

I couldn’t help but stare at Marius’s freckles while his grandfather continued to complain about such a large gathering of peasants. Even while the other guests gushed over Enjolras I was the perfect image of trust while I stole glances at Marius, who had escaped his grandfather and found Les Amis. I couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol but as the garden party grew longer the butterflies in my stomach intensified.


	16. Chapter 16

Enjolras

When The Selection hit its six-month mark there were still twenty girls in the running and the public was relatively satisfied at its progress. 2 girls had been sent home after the garden party for getting inexcusably drunk. After all the guests had left I discovered they had stolen a few bottles of wine before the party started and had been drinking since they woke up. In the last two months since the party, I sent home three more girls due to a simple lack of chemistry. Courfeyrac, who had bet money that I would have finished The Selection by now was rather proud and rather broke. However, my Father remained disappointed that I still had yet to find someone I knew would win. 

“During my Selection, I knew it was your Mother after 3 months,” my Father chastised after the girls left the Banquet Room after breakfast. 

“I would like to make sure that I can tolerate the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with,” I stated in defense. 

“Julien, your Father just means that he’s surprised you don’t have feelings for any of these girls,” Mother argued. 

“That’s ridiculous, of course, I have feelings for some of them. There are several girls that I would consider to be my equal. Each girl has something individual to her that another girl doesn’t have, which forces me to weigh the pros and cons,” I explained. 

“I don’t give a damn who you pick or what her pros and cons are as long as she comes from a respectable family,” my father boomed. 

Even though he said respectable family I knew he meant a higher caste. 

“Yes well, there have been several girls from respectable families that would never survive to be my wife,” I mumbled, thinking about some of the girls I had sent home. 

“If you're even thinking about Teresa, stop it this instance! Her family has been in the public eye since before you were born. They have been relatively scandal-free and have friends in the press,” he argued, exposing his alternative motives. 

Everything concerning The Selection was a political campaign in preparation for my rule. If the press, the citizens, or my advisors disapproved of my choices then I would never have a chance to change the government of Illeá. 

“Well lucky for you I can tolerate Teresa, even though she only ever talks about herself,” I said, getting up to leave. 

“Julien,” I heard my mother cry from behind me. 

“Your father and I only want what’s best for you. You know that whenever there is a lot of Selection coverage the crime rates and protests are much lower. Our citizens need this during these difficult times of unrest. Twelve Sevens were killed by a hate group in Carolina yesterday and until we can determine a way to handle this discreetly our citizens need to look to The Selection for hope and entertainment ”

“Our citizens need to be provided for and protected from the prejudice that their government has created in the caste system. They don’t need to watch a group of girls in fancy dresses fight for my attention,” I snapped. 

“Then go ahead and announce the Elite tonight! Since you want to be done with this so badly we should at least get a special Report out of it,” my father yelled as I stormed out of the room. 

This was ridiculous. I had to find a solution that would make this elimination seem fair, but I had no idea where to start. As I made my way to the Men’s Room I noticed a small figure sitting on the floor. 

“Éponine?” I noticed, mostly by the signature grey dress she wore. 

She looked up at me with a neutral expression on her face and I noticed several letters in her hands. 

“Sorry, I just couldn’t wait to read these. Monsieur Marius sent me pictures from all over Paris and this is the first letter my sister has sent me,” she said, holding up the piece of paper. 

“So Pontmercy is still writing to you?” I confirmed, deciding to sit next to her in the hallway. 

“Yes,” she blushed. “He’s been kind enough to send me information concerning universities in France. I think after all of this is done I’d like to go to school and receive a degree. I could take ‘Zelma with me and we could leave Illeá for the first time,” she smiled. 

This wasn’t the first time I had noticed how Éponine had changed since the Garden Party. Ultimately Eponine had become far less cynical and more confident in herself from what I had seen and heard. She was excelling in her etiquette and history classes and even spending more time in the Women’s Room with the other girls. However, she had missed several meetings in the Musain so I had seen less of her than usual. It seemed like she spent more and more time writing to Pontmercy and I wondered if her feelings toward him were strictly platonic. If things continued I would be forced to confront her about Pontmercy, but that was lower on my list of priorities.   
“This is the first time you’ve heard from your sister?” I asked, opting to change the subject since this was surprising. 

“Yeah. Before I left she made me promise that I wouldn’t write to her so when we meet again I’ll never run out of new things to tell her,” she said, looking at the floor. 

“That was brave of her,” I noted, remembering several of the stories Éponine told me about her parents.

Éponine had never gone in-depth about anything in her life back in Allens except for her sister. However, from the few, personal stories she told me I could infer that her relationship with her parents was strained to some degree. Both of her parents appeared to struggle with addiction and managing money, which led me to believe Éponine came from a family that was a Five or lower. 

“It was brave of her, but that’s Azelma,” she said smiling. 

“Well, I will leave you to your letters. I have something very important I need to sort out by lunch,” I said standing up. 

“Just promise me you’ll eat lunch,” she scolded. 

“I wouldn’t dare skip lunch and face the wrath of the Great ‘Ponine,” I laughed, helping off the floor. 

“Did you just call me ‘Ponine?” she asked.

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. 

“I’m sorry, I should have asked for your permiss-”

“No Enjolras, I’m not offended or anything. Good luck with your problem solving,” she said, turning to walk down the hall. 

I watched her confidently walk down the hall in her high heels as she would smile at maids and butlers. I wanted to chase after her to congratulate her on all of her improvements as a person during this competition but I couldn’t. I needed to get to my friends so I could determine the best way to eliminate half of the girls. 

“I know that look anywhere,” Courfeyrac declared as I walked into the Men’s Room. 

“That’s his post parental argument face,” Bossuet explained to Grantaire. 

“I’m announcing The Elite on the Report tonight,” I said. 

“Excellent, who are they?” Combeferre asked. 

“I don’t know. I want this to be a fair opportunity for each girl so they aren’t completely blindsided.”

“Is this because of what that caste supremacist group did?” Grantaire asked from his place near the door. 

“Unfortunately yes, and my strong desire to end this ridiculous affair.”

“Enjy, Illeá is angry right now, are you sure more coverage on the Selection is what they need? Don’t you think there should be some sort of memorial Report?” Ferre asked. 

“I would much rather fly out to Carolina myself to meet with the affected families, but my parents are demanding I give the Report more Selection coverage. Apparently it will distract Illeá for long enough for their advisors to come up with a solution,” I sighed. 

“Do you really not have ten girls in mind for The Elite?” Joly asked.

“I can really only think of three I care enough about, four if I count my Father’s favorite.” 

“Excuse me but have we all forgotten the end goal of the Selection?” Jehan Prouvaire said standing up from his chair. 

“Peace among Illeá?” Feuilly asked. 

“A time for Les Amis to organize allies?” Bahorel called out. 

“Entertainment?” Courfeyrac guessed. 

“You’re all idiots,” he scoffed. “At the end of this whole competition, Enjolras has to marry the last girl standing. He has to see her every day for the rest of his life and produce an heir with her.” 

“Your point?” Bossuet asked. 

“What does Enjy love more than anything else?” Prouvaire asked. 

“Patria,” several men said in unison. 

“So his future Queen should also be passionate about Patria, or something along those lines. At some point, the Elite are required to do a presentation on their desired philanthropies so Enjy doesn’t want to pick someone that isn’t passionate about anything. Just bring them all in individually and ask them what they’re passionate about,” Provaire finished. 

The men were quiet for a few moments before erupting into praise because Jehan was completely right. This idea provided a reason to eliminate the girls without having to dig too deep. Politics were a central part of life as a royal and if any of these girls were here under the assumption that their duties were to sit around and look pretty they were mistaken. Les Amis agreed that each girl should be brought to the Men’s Room individually and asked what they would change about Illeá. After lunch, all of the girls would be separated to ensure that cheating would be impossible and a photographer needed to be arranged. 

The first girl called was Iris who immediately began to explain her passions towards reconstructing the Illeán education system so that it could compete with New Asia. As she explained her idea I recalled that Iris had several relatives in New Asia that served in government positions, which could be beneficial for trade. And even though Adele was the youngest in the competition, she gave an intense speech about mandatory school volunteering so that empathy could be instilled in children as they grew up. Cosette stated that she wished there were more laws in place that protected endangered species and that wildlife conservation should be a higher priority in Illeá. 

Liberty said that there should be more laws requiring businesses and schools to accommodate the disabled. Even Teresa, who I had marked as a pompous and self-absorbed stated that the minimum wage for lower castes should be raised and there should be more opportunities for certain levels of education. While it wasn’t my favorite, she came up with something that could benefit a group of people. Harley and May both said there should be more funding for the caste relief programs and Keilah wished there were more labor laws in place to protect factory workers. Overall, several girls surprised me with multiple ideas that would benefit the people of Illeá. 

However, not all girls were able to quickly come up with an answer. For example, Charlotte simply began to panic under the pressure and cried until Joly could get her to follow some breathing exercises. Some girls were simply incorrect or blatantly prejudiced like Hazel and Ashely, who both stated that the hate groups made of caste extremists shouldn’t be subject to the law because they were doing God’s work. And unfortunately, Natalie stated that hate crimes should be illegal as she wasn’t aware that they were already against the law. 

The final girls called were Musichetta, who believed there should be more funds going to programs that provide free birth control and other Women’s Services, and Eponine, who blatantly stated that the caste system should be abolished. 

“That’s quite a radical statement, Eponine. How do you defend it?” Combeferre asked. 

“Well, most of this country's problems come from the caste system in the first place. It limits the quality of life for members of the lower castes and provides for those in the upper castes.” 

I couldn’t help but let a grin escape onto my face. 

“Thank you Eponine, you can continue this argument at the next meeting,” I said before she and the photographer left the room. 

“Taking what we all just observed, who should stay, and who should go?” I asked, organizing my stack of notes. 

“I think we should just end the Selection right now so you can marry Eponine,” Courfeyrac smiled. 

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you loooove her Enjy,” Joly laughed, spinning around in his chair. 

“That is a wildly incorrect statement because I’m not in love with any of these girls. Thank you for your time and assistance but I have a speech that is going to crush the hearts of ten girls that I need to prepare,” I said before making my way to my office.


	17. Chapter 17

Enjolras

“Citizens of Illeá, I have decided to narrow the current pool of Selected girls to the ten Elite,” I read from the teleprompter. 

While I usually memorized my speeches, my father demanded that I use a pre-approved speech written by his advisors. For once, I wasn’t offended because as soon as I began I could hear one of the girls begin to cry.

“I don’t want to drag this out any longer then it has to be so the following ladies will be staying. Lady Iris Hathor of Hudson, Lady Adele Castro of Waverly, Lady Liberty Cook of Bonita, Lady Teresa Gilbert of Hansport, Lady Harley Housten of Calgary, Lady Keilah Little of Paloma, Lady May Munez of Sota, Lady Musichetta Smith of Angeles, Lady Cosette Fauchelevant of Kent, and finally Lady Éponine Jondrette of Allens. To everyone else, I am incredibly sorry and I hope this opportunity was a positive experience for you to serve your country. If anyone leaving wishes to speak to me I will be available to meet with you. ” I said, keeping my eyes locked on the camera. 

The crying intensified as the ten eliminated girls were escorted out of the room for their individual goodbye interviews. There were several hugs among the newly announced Elite and I could see several girls crying tears of happiness. I knew that the eliminated girls would be demanding explanations as to why they were sent home and I would be forced to comfort several of them, which was unsettling. I debated whether I should be blunt or sugarcoat things while Kyran interviewed The Elite so Illeá could see their genuine reactions. 

Some of the girls, like May and Liberty, were very emotional and needed a moment to compose themselves. Other girls, like Musichetta and Teresa, stated that they weren’t surprised they were Elite because of the strong connection they felt with me. On the other hand, Éponine and Cosette both said they were shocked to have made it so far in the competition and were honored. After finishing with the girls Kryan invited me to discuss the method I used to determine who was eliminated. I could see photos flash across one of the televisions that showed several girls speaking passionately and others looking clueless. 

After the show ended I began to make my way to the eliminated girls. 

“Julien,” I heard my father say from behind me. 

“Are you satisfied with my choices or do we need to film a redo?” I asked without turning around. 

“I’ll be satisfied when you stop all of this nonsense and marry one of these nine girls,” he growled. 

“There are ten Elites,” I said rolling my eyes. 

“You can play dumb with me but you know which one I’m talking about. She was just meant to be a bone thrown to the Lower Castes, not any actual competition. Either she’s the next to go-” 

“Or what? In case you haven’t been paying attention I don’t know any castes of The Elite so I, therefore, have no clue who you’re talking about. My idea to make this a caste-blind Selection has meant to stop caste supremacists. I’ve done what you asked. I’ve read your stupid script, I’ve taken my time throughout this ridiculous facade, and I’m about to comfort ten hysterical girls. So I’m getting on a plane to Carolina tomorrow and delivering an obituary with or without your support.” I said, leaving the room. 

Of course, I knew he was talking about Éponine. It didn’t take a genius to determine that she was different from the other girls. But she was good and refreshingly different from those raised in the Higher Castes. Even though the other girls were naturally well mannered and educated, Eponine wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or challenge my beliefs. Éponine had become an ally to The Friends of the ABC and would support our cause to abolish the caste system in Illeá. 

By the time I arrived three of the eliminated girls had left the palace. Charlotte was the first to run into my arms and pour out her apologies. She didn’t need an explanation, which made her the easiest girl to deal with. Most of the girls had cried all of their makeup off and those that hadn’t left black stains on my shirt. The whole experience was like the third circle of Hell and I was happy when Claudia announced that it was time for the girls to pack their things so they could go home. 

As I began to make my way to my office I couldn’t help but feel drawn towards stopping by Éponine’s room. During the Report, she seemed to be so composed that part of me thought she wasn’t even excited about becoming an Elite. As I stood outside of her room I realized that I had only ever been to a girl’s room once and if I wanted to keep the role of Romantic Prince I would need to dedicate more time to the Elite. When Éponine finally opened the door I noticed she was still dressed in her evening gown.

“Awfully late to still be so dressed up,” I greeted her. 

“I give my maids the night off after we do the Report. We don’t have any classes tomorrow and I usually take breakfast in my room on Saturdays which gives me an excuse not to sleep with my hair in rags,” she laughed, inviting me inside. 

I noticed that her room had changed since my last visit and there was a large number of pictures covering her wall. 

“You’ve redecorated,” I noted. 

“Oh, these are the pictures that Monsieur Marius sends me. Having them on the wall makes me feel like I’m out of the palace and in the real world,” she said, sitting at her vanity to brush her hair. 

“Do you wish to be out of the palace? You seemed a little disinterested during the Report.” I asked.

“Not at all Enjolras, I’m very grateful for my opportunity to be here. You’ve been nothing but kind and generous towards me and I want you to know that I appreciate that.”

“Six months ago I asked you why you wanted to be here. Do you remember what you said?”

“I never answered the question. I said when I figured it out you would be the first person I’d tell,” she said, moving to sit next to me. 

“Have you figured it out yet? You once told me you were here so that your sister could attend college, but earlier today you were talking about moving to Paris. Forgive me if I’m crossing a line but if you don’t want to be here-”

“I’m a nobody, Enjolras. I always have been and I always will be, and nothing about being here will change how people see me. But from the moment we’ve met you’ve treated me like your equal and now I never want to go back to the way life was before I met you.” 

“So why do you want to be here?” I asked again. 

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Enjolras.” 

Suddenly I realized tears were beginning to pool in her eyes. I had scared her and made her believe I was going to send her home even though we had only once talked about her feelings and emotions surrounding the Selection. I made her believe I was sending her back to her abusive parents. I had been ignoring Éponine as a contender because she had become an ally in my political war. Once again, Patria triumphed at the expense of someone else.

As if time had stopped completely I felt her smooth lips against mine. I don’t know who initiated the kiss but I soon began to feel Éponine’s tears on my cheeks, which pulled me away from the smell of cucumber in her hair. It was wildly inappropriate to kiss a girl that I had just upset, no matter if I was meant to be dating her. It felt like my stomach was doing backflips and I could only imagine the horror that Éponine was going through as I broke away from her. 

“I’m a Six,” she whispered to her lap.

“That’s why you can’t ever marry me. I’m just here for some diversity that will satisfy the Lower Castes. But now you know so I’ll start packing my stuff,” she said standing up. 

“I don’t want you to leave,” I said without thinking. 

Even though she had broken my rule, I didn’t want to send her home. Éponine was too valuable to the cause and I wanted to protect her while I still could. 

“Do you have feelings for me?” 

“Not romantically. But you’ve become an important asset to our cause,” I said, looking at her dead on. 

“So you don’t love me?” 

“No, I don’t love you. But I don’t love any of the other Selected girls either.”

“I don’t love you either,” she shrugged. 

“I guess it’s good that the feeling is mutual,” I said standing. 

We stood in front of each other for several moments of pure silence. Éponine pressed her finger to her lips and I wondered if she was still thinking about the kiss. My stomach was still doing backflips as we stood awkwardly, like two children that had just gotten in trouble. 

“Why didn’t you talk about what happened in Carolina?” She asked, breaking the silence. 

“To be honest, my parents believe that The Selection provides more hope to Illeá than addressing the real problems in our country.”

“So you're just going to roll over and do whatever they tell you to?” She asked, picking her brush up again. 

“I’m actually planning on flying to Carolina tomorrow to deliver a speech.”

“That’s good. I’m sure everyone will really appreciate it.”

“I just hope all the coverage about The Elite won’t overshadow it,” I said, beginning to pace around her room. 

“I see how that could be a problem. Maybe it would get more coverage if you brought the Selection with you,” she said, turning around to face me. 

“I suppose it would force a few hands. But I’m not sure it could be arranged this late at night. The pilot would have to adjust for more people, we would need more guards, all of the maids would have to be notified. I’m not even sure if Claudia has briefed you on travel and press etiquette,” I began. 

“Enjolras, you’re the Crown Prince of Illeá, I think you can make a few things happen. And if it will make you feel better, I can go down and tell all of the maids for you,” she smiled, standing up.

“You would do that?” I asked.

“I’d do anything if it meant you would stop pacing in my bedroom,” she laughed, putting a robe on over her dress.

“Well, I appreciate it. I suppose I should go call the Captain of the Guard, but I can only hope Javert is in a good mood,” I said, while Éponine slid into a pair of slippers. 

“Your Captain of the Guard will get over it. However, my maids may never forgive me for this tragic fashion disaster.”

“I’m sure the evening gown-nightwear collection is just about to be released,” I laughed. 

I stared at her again while she rolled her eyes.

“Thank you for keeping me Enjolras. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said, smiling sheepishly.

“And I wouldn’t want you anywhere else,” I said, opening the door. 

Éponine went towards the kitchen to alert the maids while I journeyed to my office, hoping Javert was in a good mood. It wasn’t until I sat down to write my speech that the adrenaline from kissing Éponine finally subsided.


	18. Chapter 18

Éponine

Enjolras spent the plane ride jumping from each Elite girl arranging date after date. I knew forcing the kiss last night would throw him over the edge. He would have never considered me to be anything more then his political partner if I hadn’t initiated that kiss. I could tell that he was questioning how long he would keep me in the Selection and I wasn’t here with the right intentions. But I must have offended him because he hadn’t made eye contact with me since we boarded the plane. 

I fidgeted with the black sleeves on my dress until Cosette moved to sit across from me. She, like the rest of The Elite, was in a conservative black dress that had long sleeves, since the weather had begun to grow colder. I had never seen her in any remotely dark color, but even in black, she radiated positivity. We sat together in silence preparing for the solemn occasion while Claudia made rounds to each group of girls to brief them about the proper protocol. 

“Under absolutely no circumstance should you smile, grin, doze off, or move your eyes excessively. You are not to take any of the attention away from Prince Enjolras and the meaning of this trip,” Claudia said in a serious tone. 

“Where should we look? Should we look directly at Enjolras or out into the crowd?” Cosette asked. 

I would have never been able to think of that question. 

“I would encourage you to give your attention to His Highness. If the press believes you’re disinterested they might try to create a new story.” 

Cosette gave a deep nod of understanding. 

“Do you have any questions Miss Éponine?” Claudia asked. 

I felt like I had to come up with something, even if Claudia would berate me for it. 

“How should we sit? Are we all tucking our left or right ankles?” I asked. 

“Well you will all be sitting stage right, so I would recommend universally tucking the right ankle so it points to His Highness,” she thought, bringing her hand to her face. 

“What a great question, Éponine! I would have tucked my left ankle,” Cosette lied to make me look better in front of Claudia. 

Claudia quickly began to clarify with the other Elite so there wouldn’t be any misconceptions about how we were to sit. I rolled my eyes as Cosette laughed.

“You didn’t have to lie just to save me from the wrath of Claudia,” I smiled. 

“I didn’t lie, the nuns taught me that lying is never acceptable. I really could have tucked my left ankle,” she shrugged as I rolled my eyes. 

We sat in silence, watching Enjolras move from May to a solitary seat towards the front of the plane. I could only assume that he had exhausted himself socializing with all of the girls so quickly. 

“Don’t you think it’s refreshing to be out of the palace, Éponine?” Cosette asked. 

“I guess. I don’t really mind being stuck in the palace all of the time.” 

“Yes, it is rather beautiful. But I did start to get cabin fever a few months ago, but thanks to Enjolras I can now go out to the garden whenever I want,” she smiled. 

I was surprised to hear that since none of the Selected girls were permitted in the gardens without permission due to safety concerns. Enjolras had bent the rules for Cosette, so were they closer then I had realized? Then again, Enjolras bent the rules for me every time I went to a meeting with Les Amis. 

“When is your next date?” I slipped, not thinking before I spoke.

“He wants to go horseback riding after breakfast tomorrow. Listening to the other girls it sounds like he has a busy week ahead of him,” she frowned. 

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked, wondering what had upset the usually bubbly Cosette. 

“I’m just worried that Enjolras doesn’t reciprocate any of our feelings. I mean he’s jumping about to make all of these dates so quickly that I’m not sure what's going through his head,” she frowned, looking out of the window. 

“Do you love him?” 

“He’s very kind to me and I can tell that he cares about me, but I don’t know if I would say I’m in love with him. Papa told me that when you’re in love, you just know. I’ve read books that say when you fall in love it’s like being born again and it’s like nothing else matters. Have you ever felt like that?” 

“I think, maybe a little,” I smiled. 

I felt my face heat up as I began to picture Marius, who had been so kind to me since we met. Of course, Enjolras was also kind and generous, but he felt more like an intellectual challenge then my soulmate. Whenever I became sad or angry I knew that his calming letters could fix any situation. Even the pictures of Paris had become a sanctuary after listening to Teresa brag for several hours in the Women’s Room. And even though my life would be forever changed for good if I won the Selection and married Enjolras, Marius was different. We didn’t spend any of our time talking about politics, even though Marius was a lawyer. We spoke about poems and the worlds we wished we could live in. Marius was the only person that knew of my family’s origin. And yet, despite knowing my horrible secret, and he still wrote to me regularly. 

When we landed in Carolina, there were more press members than I had ever seen, even more than the day I flew to Angeles. We were instructed to keep a solemn expression as long as we remained in the public eye, to express the seriousness of the occasion. The airport was louder than anything I could remember. Reporters were screaming their questions at all of us and while some of them focused on the crime, most of them concerned the Selection.

“Lady Teresa, who are you wearing?”

“Lady Adele, have you and the Prince kissed?”

“Lady Éponine, how does it feel to cheat the caste system?”

I felt the anger begin to grow so hot that my blood could boil. Illeá was divided on a Six making The Elite. Some thought that I was the perfect picture of Lower Caste representation while others thought that I was a greedy, heartless whore that had slept my way to the top. But both sides were wrong because I wasn’t pristine or heartless. But the longer I was in the palace the more I agreed that the money was a large influence and after last night’s kiss, how far would I go to stay here? Justine had written to me that there was enough money for Azelma, Mercer, and me to attend the most expensive university in Illeá. I didn’t have anything to gain by staying in The Selection any longer. Although, as I sat on the stage with my right ankle tucked I remembered what Enjolras said last night. 

He didn’t want me to leave, even after I told him that I was a Six. I had completely forgotten that Enjolras knew I was just like any other servant that worked in the palace. I stared at him while he delivered an emotional and empowering speech on the importance of unity. His blonde curls appeared darker, like the circles under his eyes, showing that he hadn’t slept after he left my room. I noticed that here he stood firm and tall which opposed how he spoke wildly with his hands at the Cafe. Was I really the only member of the Elite that had seen the real Enjolras? Did Enjolras bring the other girls to kitchens to make them sandwiches? Was he lying when he said he didn’t have feelings for me?

Just as Enjolras began to reach the conclusion of his speech I could hear the crowd begin to scream. Enjolras stopped speaking, something I had never seen unless it was me that interrupted him. A loud bang rang through the crowd and all hell broke loose. Citizens ran in every direction trying to move to safety away from the shooter. Another gunshot rang through the area and my body began to move before I could control it. I felt myself jump past the guards that were beginning to shield the Elite and Enjolras. I felt my heel snap beneath my weight as I collided with the Reports that were fleeing. 

I smelled him before he grabbed me. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes brought me back sleepless nights on the pull-out couch while Azelma snored lightly. All of the memories of screaming matches, beatings, and the slow-burning pains associated with being a human ashtray made me stop in my tracks. My father grabbed me by my arm and marched me into one of the many buildings that surrounded City Hall. The knife pointed into my side would tighten whenever I would try to fight him and eventually Babet caught up to us so he could hold his gun to my back. When we finally reached our destination, I was handcuffed to a pole on the wall. 

“Are you crazy?” I screamed at my father before he slapped me across my face. 

“You don’t write, you don’t call, if I didn’t know any better I would say you’ve been avoiding your dear Papa,” he growled. 

“Well it’s good to know there really is something in the space between your ears,” I spit at him.

“You little brat, I’ll kill you right here!” He screamed, holding the knife to my neck. 

“Go ahead. I’m sure you’ll get away even though the Royal Family would pool all of their resources to find my killer. Your little gang would be discovered and you would all hang,” I snarled. 

My face was numb after the third slap. 

“Listen here you brat, you’re going to do a job for us. Call it insurance, in case that Prince finds himself a better hussy for his bed. You’re going to start giving Montparnasse the attention he deserves or you’ll get some well-deserved visits. Of course, you should know that If you tell anyone, you can kiss your loverboy goodbye,” he sneered. 

I wanted to scream but I was being suffocated as something was held over my face. Everything was becoming fuzzy as I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness. When I woke up, it felt like a fever dream. Joly and Combeferre were above my head having a serious discussion. 

“We should tell Enjolras about these scars and burns. She was clearly being abused before she came here,” Combeferre whispered. 

“That would violate confidentiality, ‘Ferre. We can’t make exceptions to the rule,” Joly refuted. 

“If Enjolras knew how bad it really was he might stop ignoring his feelings for ‘Ponine. If his mother didn’t tell him that he needed to see the other Elite, he’d probably stayed here until she was discharged.”

My mind started racing just as everything began to go fuzzy again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for how long it took me to post this chapter. I just started my summer job and I have been working forty hours a week, but I am so thankful for all of the support that you guys have been giving me!

Éponine

The next time I woke up Enjolras was sitting next to me reading a book. Well, there was an open book in his hands, but I doubted that he was reading it. The dark circles under his eyes were worse than the last time I saw him. How long had he been sitting here? 

“It’s good to see you awake, Éponine,” Combeferre’s gentle voice chimed. 

I soon recognized that I was in the infirmary instead of my room. I heard the beeping and soft hums of the medical equipment that surrounded my bed. Enjolras quickly sat up in his seat, letting his book fall to the ground. 

“‘Ponine,” Enjolras breathed, his eyes wider than usual. 

For once in my life I felt at a loss for words. As the questions began racing through my head again the machines began to beep louder and faster. 

“Woah there Éponine, let's take some deep breaths. You’re still on a lot of pain medication so don’t get ahead of yourself,” Combeferre said, pulling up a stool to my bed. 

After several deep breaths the beeping slowed down and Combeferre determined that he could begin to start asking me questions. 

“Do you know where you are Éponine?” 

“The palace infirmary,” I said. 

I didn’t recognize the voice that came out rough and gravel like. Enjolras handed me a glass of water for me to sip on. 

“What’s the last thing you remember?” 

All of the memories came flooding back to me at once. My father and his gang, the gunshots, the sting of his hand on my face, and the steel of his blade against my side. Then I remembered his threats against Enjolras. He had one of his goons inside the palace that could kill at any moment, and I wasn’t in the position to put Enjolras in any more danger than he already was. 

“I remember the gunshots and then running off the stage and then nothing,” I lied. 

“Amnesia is a common side effect of concussion so that’s to be expected,” Combeferre said, writing on his clipboard. 

“What happened?” I asked, staring at the glass in my hands. 

“The guards believe it was a failed assassination attempt,” Enjolras said from my right. “The gunman used the chaos to get away, but the guards are trying to use the city’s surveillance footage to identify him.” 

I determined that my father wasn’t as stupid as I thought he was. Everyone would focus on where the shooter was and think that I had been mauled by the crowd. 

“You ran off the stage, which is completely understandable with the adrenaline that must have been going through you,” Combeferre said, beginning to ramble in my defense. 

“Everyone was rushed to the plane and we were forced to leave immediately,” Enjolras paused staring down at his lap.  
This was the first time I had seen Enjolras like this. I had seen him angry, happy, upset, and even shocked. But this was a new emotion: shame. 

“This was an order directly from the Captain of the Guard, so no one had any choice to stay,” Combeferre refuted, staring at Enjolras before he continued. “A team began to search for you as soon as they could and you were quickly recovered by one of the guards-”

“Which one?” I blurted out. 

Combeferre was taken aback by my sudden outburst. 

“I would just like to know who I owe my thanks to,” I recovered. 

“I’m not sure what his name was, but he was determined to make sure you were taken care of. I do remember that he needs to lay off the cologne, there is such a thing as too much,” Combeferre noted. 

Montparnasse carried me from where my father had beaten and drugged me to a place where I would be taken care of. He truly made me sick to my stomach. 

“Éponine, Joly, and I need to do a few tests now that you’re awake. Enjolras, it would be best if you left the room,” Combeferre said, which displeased Enjolras. 

“If it’s okay with Éponine, I’d like to stay.” He said, firmly. 

“I appreciate it, Enjolras, but you look horrible. Go sleep in a bed, if anything goes wrong I’m sure you’ll be the first person they tell,” I smiled, which caused my face to throb. 

With a firm squeeze on my hand, which I forgot he was holding, Enjolras left the infirmary. Joly came around to assist Combeferre with the tests that resulted in a few shared looks between my doctors. Finally, Joly concluded that I had a mild concussion from the trauma to my head, which they believed to have been caused by the crowd’s stampede. 

“We’re going to recommend ten days of bed rest for optimal recovery, which means no Report this week, no lessons with the other Elite ladies, and no attending the meeting at the Musain,” Joly said, frowning. 

“You mean you want me to stay in bed for ten days? How do you expect me to survive around here after missing all of those lessons?” I panicked, remembering that Claudia reported all of our shortcomings to the King and Queen. 

“Some light instruction can be arranged, but too much can cause irritation, headaches, and concentration difficulties,” Joly continued until Combeferre cut him off. 

“To summarize, all of these things can do more harm than good. We just want to make sure you have a speedy recovery so that our future Queen doesn’t have any future problems,” Combeferre smiled. 

“Are you guys still on about that,” I sighed, shaking my head. 

“But didn’t he kiss you?” Combeferre asked. 

“The Marble Man kissed you?” Joly gasped. 

“It was mostly me. I was just worried he was going to send me home and then we arranged for the Elite to go with him to Carolina. Oh, and I told him I was a Six,” I remembered, which brought on a deep throb in my head. 

“You told him your caste?” Ferre gasped this time. 

“Well if he didn’t send you home then he’s never going to. Several of the eliminated girls thought they would be the exception when they told him of their castes, but obviously, it’s you,” Joly smiled. 

“I am not the exception, he was probably going to send me home when we got back anyway,” I said. 

“Éponine, I’ve known Julien since we were little. If he wasn’t harboring some feelings for you you would be back with your family without a concussion. Enjolras only sees in black and white, there’s no grey area.” 

“Too bad Enjolras and I already declared our platonic feelings towards each other,” I mumbled. 

“You mean you told him that you don’t love him?” Joly asked, his jaw-dropping. 

“I’m not going to lie to him. It’s not that I don’t like him, he hasn’t been anything but kind to me ever since we met. But I don’t have any romantic feelings for him and apparently, he doesn’t either. He’ll send me home whenever he wants to and I’ll take my sister and move out of the country. I’ll get to go to school and he can marry at least a Four, it’s a win for everyone,” I said as tears began to fall down my cheeks. 

“If Jehan was here right now I know he would give some great advice,” Combeferre said. 

We all sat around in a sad silence while I wiped away at the tears on my face. Some of it was probably just the concussion making me emotional, but there was no doubt I would miss Enjolras after he eliminated me. Nothing about us was compatible, we were both wildly independent and assertive. Nothing about either of us canceled out the other person’s qualities, we only enhanced them. It wasn’t until there was a loud commotion in the hall that any of us moved. Just as Joly began to make his way in the direction of the shouting the infirmary door swung open. 

“I have to see that she’s okay!” I heard a voice shout. 

When I heard his voice the butterflies in my stomach returned and the beeps from the machines increased. But compared to the last time the beeps got faster I wasn’t upset because suddenly it was Marius that had burst through the door. He hadn’t changed since I last saw him, even in his current state of distress. 

“Éponine are you okay?” He asked, rushing to where Enjolras had been sitting. 

“Excuse me sir,” Combeferre demanded in a stern voice. 

“I’m terribly sorry for the intrusion, but I saw the news and I got the first flight here,” Marius began to ramble. 

“Combeferre, Joly, this is Marius Pontmercy. We met at the Garden Party,” I said. 

“Pontmercy,” Combeferre paused. “I believe we had a rather in-depth conversation about General Lamarque’s impact on the sociocultural aspect of France,” He said, pushing his glasses up. 

“We did, and I’ve found your points extremely helpful in my law studies,” Marius responded. 

“Thank you Combeferre, if I need anything I’ll let you know,” I said, staring at Marius. 

We sat together in silence while I held Marius’s hand. Eventually we began to talk about what actually happened in Carolina. He sat and listened to me while I cried and distracted me by sharing stories about his grandfather. Joly and Combeferre would come around and check the machines surrounding my bed. I lost track of time while we moved to different topics of conversation that made me laugh until happy tears were falling down my cheeks. For a few hours, I was able to forget that I was sitting in a hospital bed in a competition to marry a Prince. For a few hours, my world felt like it was 

“Excuse me, but I have to insist that Éponine is left to rest now,” Joly eventually said. 

“Of course, I just came to make sure Éponine was safe. I will go apologize to His Highness for my intrusion and be on my way back to France,” Marius said, standing. 

“You could always stay,” I murmured. 

“Pardon?”

“You could check out The Friends of the ABC, maybe go to one of their meetings. If you ask Enjolras if you can join I’m sure he would let you stay. This way you can explore the real politics of Illeá,” I explained. 

“You’re quite the genius ‘Ponine,” he smiled, before leaving the infirmary. 

“Well that seemed to cheer you up,” Joly noted as he fidgeted with the machines.

“Yeah, Marius is a great guy,” I blushed. 

“Interesting,” was all Joly mumbled. 

“Alright Éponine,” Combeferre said in an animated tone. “We’re going to keep you here tonight for observation and if all goes well you’ll be in your own room tomorrow. Just so you can sleep easy, there will be two guards posted outside of the door all night,” he smiled. 

The beeping got faster. 

“No,” I half-shouted, my instincts telling me to run again. “I don’t want any guards. One of my maids will be just fine,” I recovered. 

“Is everything okay Éponine?” Combeferre asked, sitting next to my bed. 

“To be honest, one of the guards is my home province and I would just prefer my maid Miriam.”

“If you want I could get his name so I can make sure he isn’t one of the guards,” Ferre suggested. 

If I raised an alarm like this that would make Montparnese think that I told everyone what really happened and I couldn’t risk putting Enjolras in danger. 

“No, I’d rather not,” I said in a broken voice. 

“Éponine, when you first came in here Joly and me were required to do an extensive exam to check you for any physical injuries,” Combeferre said, taking my hand. “We discovered several scars that resemble those of domestic abuse victims. Most of the time, victims are too afraid of their abuser to speak out, and I just want you to know that Joly and I are here to help you and we wouldn’t do anything that would cause you to get hurt again.” 

For the first time since I had been in The Selection, I remembered the scars Combeferre was referring to. I was surprised that none of my maids had ever brought them up, considering that they saw them whenever they dressed and undressed me. The two cigarette butt burns on the small of my back were both a gift from Montparnasse that he gave to me on my thirteenth birthday. It was one of the first times that my father brought him around to see me. Combeferre handed me a tissue. 

“Thank you for your concern Combeferre, but I’m perfectly safe,” I said without looking at him. 

“I’ll go send for your maid,” he said, squeezing my hand.

After spending the night under the watchful eye of Combeferre and Miriam I was allowed to spend my period of bed rest in my room. Cosette was the first person to visit me, bringing several bouquets she had picked from the garden. After assuring her that I was fine multiple times she updated me on what the other Elite had been doing since the trip to Carolina. I even learned that Keilah had been so scared that she voluntarily left the competition. It made me begin to wonder how many times Enjolras was put in danger while being in the public eye, and even in his own home. Enjolras and whoever married him would always be in danger to some extent, and his future wife needed to be able to handle the pressure. 

Enjolras visited me every day after dinner without fail. Sometimes he would read to me, since Joly recommended that I rest my brain. Surprisingly, I didn’t want to disobey Joly because I didn’t mind listening to Enjolras read. Sometimes we would just talk about our days, which would always be more interesting for me than Enjolras. My days of bedrest mainly consisted of the visits from Enjolras and Cosette, playing cards with my maids, writing letters to Justine, and simple lessons from Claudia. However, most of my time spent with Claudia consisted of us bonding instead of history and etiquette lessons. Enjolras would also hold my hand as he read rough drafts of his speeches to me, which I learned from Combeferre was quite an honor. On my ninth day of bed rest, Enjolras visited me after a meeting at the Musain with two sandwiches. 

“How long has it been since you made me a sandwich,” I laughed as he handed me a tray. 

“Frankly, too long,” he said, pulling a chair up. 

“Tomorrow is my last day stuck in bed,” I smiled. 

“I know, what will you do first?” 

“I think Cosette and I are going to take a walk through the garden. I’ve been going through some severe vitamin D withdrawals,” I said before taking a bite of my sandwich. 

“That should be good,” he said, staring at the pictures on my wall almost absentmindedly. 

“Are you okay Enjolras?” 

“Yes, sorry. I guess I’m just a bit preoccupied from the meeting,” He said, standing. 

“What happened?” I asked, sitting up. 

“Ever since our trip to Carolina the Lower Castes have started to revolt against the Upper Castes. There have been multiple strikes and even physical assaults on people in the Upper Castes.”

“What are you going to do about it?” 

“My father won’t allow me to do anything about it myself. He is fully relying on his Advisory Team to stop this. The problem is that his council is siding with those in the Upper Castes, even though it is the Upper Castes that have failed the Lower Castes. Once my father starts to sign new laws into place the Lower Castes will realize that their King doesn’t care about them and we could have a Civil War on our hands,” He rambled, beginning to pace.

“But the Lower Castes know that you don’t support the Caste System so couldn’t you talk to them?” I asked. 

“Not without committing treason. If I speak out against my father the country will see how corrupt their government is and know that we’ve failed them.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked. 

“Until I become King there is no public declaration that I can make against the laws that my father will eventually sign without losing the support of the Upper Castes and keeping the support of the Lower Castes. It’s a big mess and there’s only one thing that would even appease the Lower Castes right now.” 

“What is it?” I asked, standing up, worried that Enjolras was going to confide a dark plan to me. 

“I think I have to marry you.”


	20. Chapter 20

Enjolras 

“Julien, do you normally propose to girls while they’re concussed and have previously disclosed their lack of romantic feelings for you or is this a new tactic?” Courfeyrac mocked as he handed me an ice pack. 

“Your humor never fails Courf,” I groaned, placing the ice on my already swollen eye. 

“Then allow me to ask, what the hell were you thinking?” He shouted, startling Combeferre, who was still trying to tie his robe. 

“I was thinking about the future of Illea. I’m sorry for putting my country’s interest at heart.”

“That’s the problem! You only ever think about your country! You weren’t thinking about Éponine, who has already told you that she doesn’t love you. You know we’re not all marble statues that don’t have feelings,” He yelled, pouring himself a glass of scotch. 

“Is this why you didn’t eliminate her when she told you that she was a Six?” Ferre asked. 

“No, I’ve known for a while that she was from one of the Lower Castes. It was obvious from how the other girls and my parents talked about her that most people are uncomfortable with her being at the palace. I didn’t eliminate her when she told me because I didn’t want to,” I explained. 

“You mean because you love her,” Courfeyrac corrected. 

“No, I don’t love her. With her upbringing, she can represent a signal of-” 

“That’s exactly your problem, Julien,” Combeferre cut me off. “This is all you ever think about. The skipping meals, lack of sleep, all of the stupid things you do that are going to cut your lifespan by fifteen years. They’re all things that you do because you think you have your country’s best interests at heart but you’re going to kill yourself!”

“Which wouldn’t please your wife. Oh wait, the closest you’ve gotten to a wife punched you in the face. You can’t tell a girl that she’ll serve as an important political asset and then propose. Women want to marry for love, Julien.” Courfeyrac said, sitting on the table. 

“I would have thought that she would have loved to serve her country like this. I mean, isn’t that the whole purpose of The Selection?” I asked, remembering the many conversations we had about how I needed to find a wife. 

“Are you sure that’s why you asked her Julien?” Courfeyrac asked, finishing his glass of scotch. 

“What do you mean? Why else would I have asked her?” 

“Because you love her and you don’t know how to express your feelings,” Courfeyrac mumbled. 

“That wasn’t funny Courf. That was actually quite rude,” I said, looking to Combeferre for confirmation. 

“I agree with Courfeyrac. Whether you want to admit it or not, you’ve always treated Éponine differently from the other girls. You’ve visited her every day and allowed her to come to meetings at the Musain-”

“Because she’s interested in our philosophy!” I corrected him. 

“And there are eight other girls here that are passionate about something that can better Illea,” Courfeyrac yelled. 

“I thought you all wanted me to marry Éponine? I thought you’d be happy that your marble man finally decided to settle.”

“We wanted you to address your feelings. Letting your passion for Patria control your love life was the last thing any of us wanted,” Combeferre said, putting his hand on my shoulder. 

“Why did you really ask Éponine to marry you?” 

I sat down at the table again and put my head in my hands while I tried to come up with an answer to Combeferre’s question. 

“When I meet with the other girls it always seems a little awkward to me. I mean, you can only talk about the gardens and horses for so long. Everything with Éponine just comes easier than with everyone else. I think I could tolerate the rest of my life with her, but she obviously feels different about the subject. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was packing her things right now,” I sighed, as Combeferre and Courfeyrac both put a hand on my shoulders. 

I waited all night for a butler or guard to tell me that Éponine was requesting to leave, but they never came. Even after another week of only leaving her room for lessons, Éponine still stayed, even though we hadn’t seen each other since she punched me in the face. According to Joly, she was only taking meals in her room because she was still suffering from side effects of her concussion, but Joly didn’t seem to be too bothered. For the most part, I had accepted this as Éponine and mine’s new relationship, if it could be called one. I spent more time with my Father’s advisors trying to find a way to appease all of the caste levels, which was much more comfortable for me then going on dates with the other girls. Apparently, the press was beginning to become uneasy that there wasn’t any evidence that I had become physical with any of the Elite. Naturally, I wanted to seek advice from my closest confidants, however, I felt like this issue would be handled better by the Friends of the ABC as an entirety. 

“I would like to thank everyone for their input on Illea’s current issues. Now if you’ll forgive me, I would like to bring up a personal issue that has come to my attention,” I addressed them, feeling the color rise in my cheeks. 

“According to several sources, the press is beginning to become uneasy about the lack of physicality between the Elite and myself,” I continued. 

“So you just have to kiss one of them?” Pontmercy clarified. 

“Yes.”

“Why can’t you just kiss the girl you like the most?” Pontmercy asked. 

“Because the girl Enjolras likes the most doesn’t like him back,” Courfeyrac rebutted. 

“Why don’t you just kiss the girl that likes you the most?” Bahorel asked.

“I don’t think it would be fair to play with a girl’s emotions like that. What if I don’t harbor any romantic feelings towards her and I decide to send her home next week?” 

“You could try to be honest with your intentions,” Feuilly responded. 

“How would he go about doing that? ‘Excuse me, I don’t love you but the paparazzi are demanding a show. Will you let me kiss you?’ That girl would probably expose Enjolras on the Report the second she got the chance,” Courfeyrac said.

I turned to Jehan, who had remained unusually silent during this conversation. 

“Prouvaire?” I asked as he scribbled in his notebook. 

“You should already know where I stand, Enjolras. You need to stop making decisions with your brain and start making them with your heart. You’ve been letting politics control this entire Selection, which is why you haven’t opened up to any of the girls yet. Turn that big rebellious brain off for an hour and see what happens,” Jehan said. 

I stood and processed what he had just said and the silence in the room showed that the rest of the men were also processing what they had just heard. Several more ideas were thrown out into discussion, but no one was able to come up with a full proof solution. As the men began to pack up their things I checked over my notes to make sure I covered everything. 

“One more announcement, my friends. My mother will be hosting a Christmas Eve Ball one week from today. The Royal Planner has requested that The Friends of the ABC join the Elites for dancing lessons every day after lunch. This way everyone will be able to have a partner and you all might avoid any potential catastrophes at the Ball,” I announced. 

There was a mixture of groans and cheers from the men as I put on my jacket. As I drove back to the palace I debated whether I should go and visit Éponine to clear the air before we attended the lesson together tomorrow. I knew Éponine wasn’t the type of person that would cause a scene in front of other people, so I mainly worried about making sure she felt comfortable dancing with me. As I walked towards her room I could hear a few voices from around the corner. 

“Lady Éponine will not see any members of the guard. If you have orders please bring a signed copy from General Javert,” I heard a woman say. 

“Don’t make me bother Javert at this time of night. It’s just a quick sweep of the room to make sure her windows are secure,” a man responded. 

“If it’s just that then I’ll do it myself and relay the information. Do you know what time it is? There is no reason for you to have waited until this time of night to do your job. Lady Éponine shouldn’t have to be bothered because of your inability to prioritize your duties”

From the sound of angry footsteps approaching me, I gathered that the guard had stormed off. When he passed me I recognized him as the guard that initially recovered Éponine and brought her to the infirmary. As I approached her door I recognized that the woman that sent him away was a maid named Elise. Normally when I visited Éponine, Elise seemed like a shy and quiet girl, but it was comforting that she could stand her own to serve Éponine. 

“Your Highness,” she curtsied. 

“Elise, could I possibly see Éponine?” 

“I’m sorry Your Highness, but Éponine’s currently in the bath,” she said, almost shaking. 

“Would you just let her know that I stopped by?” I asked before thinking. 

“Of course, sir. Can I relay a message for you?” 

“Could you just tell her that I’m sorry,” I said, realizing that if we were going to talk at all tomorrow I would have to swallow any of my pride and apologize. 

“Of course, Your Highness. Enjoy the rest of your night,” Elise curtsied before going back inside Éponine’s room.


	21. Chapter 21

Éponine

“But you haven’t worn the flats in months Éponine,” Laila called from my closet. 

“I’ve never taken dance lessons before. I want to be as comfortable as possible today,” I said, watching Miriam put the necklace Justine gave me around my neck. 

“Or you need to be as comfortable as possible because this is the first time you’re seeing Enjolras since-”

“Why don’t you go clean the bathroom mirrors, Elise?” Miriam interrupted, which quickly sent Elise scurrying away. 

“You didn’t have to do that, Miriam,” I shook my head. 

“Ma’am, If you need another day we could say that your concussion is still bothering you,” Miriam suggested as I stood to put on the flats Elise set out. 

“I can’t use it as an excuse forever. If Enjolras was going to send me home he would have done it already,” I said, mostly to ease my anxieties. 

“Well, no one can say that you don’t look like a princess on your first day back,” Laila smiled. 

As I looked at my reflection I realized that Laila was right about me looking like a princess. Claudia requested that during our dance lessons we were to wear tea-length dresses so our feet would be visible for easy corrections. The dress was a deep shade of emerald green that matched the upcoming holiday. Even though I had skipped breakfast in the Banquet Room Laila did a favor by putting my hair in a simple braid that made the gorgeous dress look more simple. 

“Would you like me to walk with you?” Laila asked.

“Thank you but I don’t think Montparnasse has the guts to come out during the daylight,” I laughed, even though I knew I was lying. 

Since the moment I told Miriam the truth about Montparnasse and my father it was like a weight had been lifted from my chest. She handled the entire situation better than I could have ever imagined. Unless I asked her about him directly she never mentioned him, which was something Elise and Laila picked up on very quickly. And even though I knew Montparnasse would come at me during any time of the day I needed to be alone before I was thrown back into the Selection. For once it wasn’t the girls that made me worry, but the press. I knew they would be filming our first day of lessons and I could only hope that they had no interest in interviewing us. I held my breath as a butler opened the door to the Banquet Room where most of the girls were already seated in anticipation of lunch. For once, I didn’t feel any eyes on me as I moved towards my seat between Cosette and Musichetta. 

“I’m so glad that you’re able to join us!” Cosette said in her usual giddy tone. 

“You came just in time to watch me take a swing at the Royal Brat,” Musichetta almost growled. 

“Chetta and Teresa have had a few disagreements this week,” Cosette whispered while we stared at Musichetta. 

“About what?”

“Does it even matter anymore? She thinks that every one that isn’t her is dirt. It’s beyond her usual Caste discrimination, which we’re all very sick of,” Chetta growled. 

“Adele and Harley have been the most recent victims of Teresa’s harassment. Adele swears Teresa got one of her maids to ruin her ball gown so she might have to wear one of her old dresses,” Cosette explained. 

Even though Teresa had always been rude to me she had never gone as far as blatant sabotage towards me. As lunch was served I began to piece together that Teresa probably wasn’t threatened by me, a Six. On the other hand, Adele and Harley were both Fours that come from relatively successful families that could pose a threat to her competition if they continued to gain traction with Enjolras. The most interesting part surrounding all of Teresa’s bullying was that I had never once heard her declare her love for Enjolras. Of course, she and every other girl would gush over his body, but I had yet to hear someone declare their love for Enjolras. 

Thankfully I didn’t have to spend a long time mulling over the problems with the Selection since Claudia began to give an instructive lecture on ballroom dancing while lunch was being served. 

“Ballroom dance is a necessary skill for any young woman that aspires to be a princess. It provides benefits in intellectual and social wellbeing that are conveyed to those dancing and watching the dancing. Dance is its own language that has brought together countless countries that were once at the brink of war,” Claudia explained passionately. 

“I think she’s exaggerating a little,” Cosette giggled. 

“I think Claudia’s last name is over-exaggerating,” I smiled. 

Just as Claudia was entering an explanation of how a person’s teamwork skills are improved through ballroom dancing, Grantaire interrupted with the announcement of our dance partners. One by one the Friends of the ABC made their way into The Banquet Room, each with varying expressions of excitement and nervousness. We were instructed to mingle with the men while several butlers cleared the floor. 

“You’ll have to forgive me if I step on your foot ‘Ponine. I haven’t been to a ball since I was twelve,” Marius said from behind me. 

My stomach did a backflip at the thought of dancing with Marius. 

“I’ve never been to a ball so I hope you're okay with your shoes getting scuffed,” I blushed. 

“I debated wearing my steel-toed shoes, but I decided that I have total confidence in you,” Marius smiled before staring off at something behind me.

“Earth to Marius,” I laughed, waving my hand in front of his face. 

“Éponine, who is that?” He asked, pointing to Cosette who was laughing at something Courfeyrac said. 

“That’s Cosette.”

“She’s breathtaking,” Marius said, continuing to stare at her. 

“Yeah, she’s beautiful.”

Before we could continue our conversation Grantaire was announcing the presence of Enjolras and we were being directed into a large circle. Before I could say anything Marius was rushing over the switch with Courfeyrac, who was originally partnered with Cosette. 

“It’s so good to see you Éponine,” He bowed, holding out his hand. 

“It’s good to see you too Courf. I’ve missed seeing everyone,” I said, curtseying. 

“You have an open invitation to the Men’s Room whenever you’d like,” he smiled, putting his hand on my waist. 

Claudia explained that every Elite girl would get a chance to dance with every Enjolras and that the men would rotate after every round. After looking around I realized that I would dance with Marius right before I danced with Enjolras, who was currently partnered with Liberty. Marius’s face was lit up like the Christmas Tree in my bedroom and Cosette’s face was light pink. Even while I struggled to dance with Courfeyrac I couldn’t stop staring at Marius. He had never looked at me the way he was looking at Cosette. But his face changed when he walked over to dance with May. 

“Is everything okay?” Combeferre asked. 

“I don’t know,” I said, looking at my feet, which were badly off tempo. 

“Well, what I always try to do when I have too many things going on is focus on one thing at a time. I don’t mean to imply that whatever else you’re thinking about isn’t important, but these lessons will have a direct correlation with how well you do in front of everyone at the ball.”

As per usual, Combeferre was right. Claudia was going to tell the King and Queen about how badly I did during the lesson, which could affect how I stood among the Elite. I had already missed two weeks on history and etiquette lessons, and I knew those two weeks would make a difference. I tried to push Marius out of my head, but the pain I felt in the pit of my stomach was preventing me from prying my eyes away. 

“I never thought I’d live to see the day Enjolras wore makeup,” I heard Ferre say, which snapped my attention away from Marius. 

“Excuse me?” I asked in a panicked voice, turning my attention to Enjolras for the first time since his arrival.

It wasn’t very noticeable unless you knew where to look. I could barely make out that the right side of his face was more swollen then his left. And I could only imagine the color of his eye beneath the concealer Combeferre claimed he was wearing.

“I also never thought I’d see the day when someone finally gave what was coming to him.”

“He told you?” I asked, grinding my teeth together. 

Combeferre nodded in response. 

“I really don’t know what came over me. I never should have done that to him. If I would have taken time to process it my life could have been everything I’ve ever wanted. Now my sister is still suffering because of me.”

“He’s not mad at you if that’s what you’re worried about. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that you said no,” Ferre smiled. 

“How could turning down the Crown Prince be a good thing?” 

“You would be getting married for all of the wrong reasons. You would only be thinking about helping your sister and he would only be thinking about his beloved Patria,” he explained, spinning me around. 

“So what am I supposed to do?” 

“You can start with being honest with him about your situation,” he said, giving me a very serious look before we switched partners. 

None of the other conversations with my other dance partners were as serious as the one I had with Combeferre. From what I gathered Combeferre was probably the only other person that knew about what happened between Enjolras and me, which didn’t upset me. Most of the men were able to distract me from the worry in my stomach about Marius. Joly was more eccentric than usual and had me sanitize my hands before we could touch while Bossuet was actually better at dancing than I was. 

“It’s the only thing I’ve been blessed with,” he smiled before moving on to his next partner. 

I watched Marius smile as he made his way towards me. His smile brought me some comfort, but it wasn’t the smile he gave Cosette. 

“‘Ponine, I feel like I could dance forever,” he smiled, placing his hand on my waist. 

“Why is that?” I asked, fighting the butterflies in my stomach. 

“I feel like I was just reborn into this Earth,” he said, spinning me. 

At first, I couldn’t help myself but giggle while Marius twirled me around like a princess. And then I remembered the conversation I had with Cosette during the flight to Carolina. 

“Isn’t Cosette the most lovely woman you’ve ever met?” Marius asked, bringing me back to reality. 

“She’s great,” I almost whispered, staring at my feet. 

Did people really fall in love this fast?

“I need to talk to her again. Do you think I would be able to visit her in private?” 

“Only if you want to be executed,” I mumbled. 

“Of course, I could never risk putting Cosette in that kind of danger. I could write her a letter!” He beamed, like a kid in a candy store. 

“But you just met her? How do you know that your feelings are real?” I asked, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. 

“I just know. She is the only thing I can think about, and now it’s like the world has more colors. Would you be able to help me with the letters, Éponine?”

There was no benefit to me helping Marius. Why would I help someone that was causing my heart to break into a million pieces?

“It’s the perfect set up ‘Ponine. You’re the only person that can go to Cosette’s room and the Men’s Room,” he carried on. 

“What if I got caught?” I asked, still looking at my feet.

“I would take all of the blame, and if I caused you to experience any harm then I promise to compensate you for what you lost here.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want your money.”

“It doesn’t have to be money. I can get you and your sister out of Illeá. You can live on one of my grandfather’s properties and do whatever you want to in France,” he smiled.

How could I refuse him? And if this didn’t work out with Cosette, maybe Marius would see that I was the person he belonged with.

“Okay,” I mumbled as the song ended. 

“Come by the Men’s Room after dinner and I’ll have it ready,” he said, bowing. 

At least I had a few seconds to wipe the tears away before I had to face Enjolras.


	22. Chapter 22

Enjolras

With the exception of Liberty, all of the girls had made decent dance partners. Of course, it was all to a varying degree. May was more awkward than most of the girls, presumably because of her young age. While on the other end of the spectrum, Musichetta and Teresa were able to do advanced skills with a high level of confidence. The step sequences and small talk almost made me forget about the nerves in the pit of my stomach. After Harley, Éponine would be my final dance partner for the day. As I stared at her for the first time since I proposed I noticed how much larger her eyes appeared. I soon realized that Éponine’s eyes were actually welling up with tears. Had I hurt her so much that the mere sight of me was causing her to break down.   
“Are you okay?” I asked, leaning in so closely that I could smell the cucumber in her hair. 

“I’m fine,” she smiled, wiping more tears away. 

“I just rolled my ankle during that last spin,” she stated, in her usual confident tone. 

“I can get you some ice. Would you like to sit down and rest it?” 

“No, it’s fine. I’ve been doing a really good job of flying under the radar for my first day back.”

Of course, Éponine would be the girl to avoid any and all attention. Even though I should have insisted on having her sit in one of the chairs and having a servant fetch her some ice, it was refreshing to be near a girl that didn’t want to be the center of attention. Once I realized that Éponine didn’t plan on going anywhere I extended my hand to her, which she took after taking a deep breath. Once we began the step sequence I quickly realized that Éponine was staring at Marius, who was working with Claudia and Liberty. The look on her face reminded me of the night when she told me she was a Six. We danced in silence for a few minutes before I could think of something to say. 

“You’re back to flats?” I caught myself asking, while she stared at Marius.

“What?” Éponine asked, whipping her eyes back to me. 

“You’re not wearing heels,” I stated. 

“Oh. Well, I’ve never really danced before so I decided to take it easy today.”

“How did your maids react to that?” I smiled, remembering that Éponine had previously told me about her first night in the palace. 

“Better than I anticipated. I think I’ve caused Miriam to go soft,” she smiled gently. 

“If you’d prefer I’m sure Claudia could pull some strings. You could probably get quite the stickler in replacement.”

Éponine made a sour face at my suggestion. 

“It’s hard enough having to deal with Claudia’s constant need for control, I don’t think I would survive the loss of my maids,” she expressed in a serious tone. 

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you were just kidding,” she smiled, looking into my eye for the first time in what felt like forever. 

“Not about that poorly constructed joke. I’m sorry for what I put you through last week,” I said, staring into her eyes. 

“I feel like I’m the one that should apologize. I did assault the Prince of Illea,” she said looking down at her feet.

“I mean, you’re a One so you can basically do whatever you want,” she said in a small voice. 

“That’s not true. No person should not be able to live above the law-” I cut myself off.

“Why’d you stop?” Éponine asked, looking genuinely confused. 

“You haven’t come to meetings recently so I assumed you wouldn’t want to hear me go off on one of my tangents,” I admitted. 

“Enjolras I haven’t been going to the meetings because I had a concussion and then I assaulted you and I thought you were going to send me home.” 

“Why would I punish you for something I caused?” I asked her. 

Éponine’s face was a mixture of shock and horror. 

“Excellent job everyone! I think this can conclude our first lesson. Enjoy your afternoon,” Claudia declared. 

Éponine entered a deep curtsey before she quickly turned away to leave. I caught the eye of Courfeyrac as she fled from the Banquet Room. This was a rare occasion where Courf’s face turned stern. He made a quick motion that I should follow her. It felt like my legs were moving before I thought about it.


	24. Chapter 23

Éponine

It felt like everything was falling apart. I was wrong to ever think that I was a strong person. Before the selection, I always had to be strong for Zelma. It didn’t matter if I hadn’t eaten in days or if I couldn’t stand up from a beating. She had never seen me cry and I could only imagine what the camera crews had caught in my dramatic exit from the Banquet Room. I needed to go somewhere before anyone saw me. The thought of Montparnasse or even Marius finding me like this was sickening. Knowing Parnasse, he would be waiting outside of my door after not being able to see me last night. He was expecting his first delivery and I had yet to come through. My mind began to spin as I remembered his demands.

“You’re dear Mama and Papa have barely been able to make ends meet. Apparently, the stipends from the Palace are hardly noticeable compared to how much you would bring home,” I recalled, almost able to smell his pine cologne.

“You’re ridiculous. The stipend is more money than I make in a year. It’s not my fault they’re wasting it on booze,” I scoffed, furious that he had caught me when my maids weren’t around. 

“It’s too bad, what could happen with Azelma,” he teased. 

“You’re more stupid then I thought if you think I don’t know a con when I see one.”

“If only there was another source of income to the Thenardier family,” he sneered. 

“Don’t you dare say that name here. If someone finds out I’ll be thrown in jail,” I hissed, making sure we were completely alone. 

“Who’s going to stop me from saying your name as much as, please? You going to tell Prince Charming what you do in your free time?”

For once, Montparnasse was right. I couldn’t let Enjolras find out that I was a criminal, a fugitive even. Marius was incredibly understanding, but I could barely even tell Enjolras that I was a Six. How would he look at me if he found out what I had done before I came to the Palace? What would happen if the Media found out? Girls from The Selection were followed for the rest of their lives; it wouldn’t matter if I escaped to France. 

“I’m going to need you to do some shopping for me,” he sneered. 

“I’m not stealing for you.”

“If you don’t want to grab a few things for me I’m sure I could make some other arrangements,” he smiled, putting his grimy hand on my waist. 

The feeling of my fist against his face was the most satisfying thing I had done in a long time.

“I’m done asking ‘Ponine,” he said, rubbing his cheek, “You’re going to be a good daughter and help your Papa.”

I looked at Montparnasse to object but found that he had stopped making his demands. Instead, he was giving me a very concerned look. 

“Éponine?” He asked in a soft voice. 

No. It wasn’t Parnasse’s voice. 

“Ponine?” He said again, this time softer. 

I blinked a few times, still confused as to why Montparnasse wasn’t listing his demands to me. After a few more seconds of flickering my eyes, the image in front of me began to emerge. I wasn’t talking to Montparnasse. In fact, I wasn’t even standing up. I was on my knees, pressed against a wall. 

“Can you tell me where you are Éponine?” The soft voice said from in front of me. 

I looked up, making direct eye contact with Enjolras. As I stared into his deep blue eyes I recognized an expression I had never seen on his face: concern. He sat across from me with his hands on his knees.

“Éponine?” He asked again.

“I’m on the floor,” I said, my voice coming out as a low rasp. 

“Do you know where?”

“Somewhere in the Palace. I don’t know where though,” I said, as my senses began to hit me one by one. 

“You’re on the second floor. I don’t know where you planned on going because your room is on the other side of the hall.”

“I can’t go back there,” I found myself whispering.

“Alright, would you like to take a walk around the garden?”

“No. I just want to be alone,” I said, wrapping my arms around my legs. 

There was a brief pause while Enjolras gathered his thoughts. 

“I can’t exactly leave you to sit in the hallway like this. Do you trust me Ponine?” 

Enjolras’ voice sounded softer than snow. I could only bring myself to nod, as he stood up, holding his hand out. 

“May I?” He asked, holding out his elbow. 

I wordlessly accepted as he began to lead me towards the grand staircase. The guards posted at the stairs snapped to attention as Enjolras and I approached. 

“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” they greeted in unison. 

“As you were,” he said in a casual tone. 

As we made our way to the third floor I noticed the massive increase in guards. Enjolras must have noticed my anxiety because he leaned down to reassure me. 

“The clearance for guarding the third floor is a minimum of 4 years service as a Royal Guard,” he whispered as we walked to the end of the hall. 

We were met by an older gentleman with thin wire glasses standing outside of a grand door. 

“How did the dance lesson go, Your Highness?” The older man asked. 

“It was quite productive Lawrence, thank you for asking,” Enjolras smiled as the man opened the door for us. 

Enjolras let go of my arm as we entered the mysterious room. There were large windows that overlooked the vast forest that surrounded the Palace. The light golden walls complicated the sheets on the large bed across the room. Large bookcases lined the wall opposite the windows almost so that in case anyone was able to see inside, the room would appear to be a study. The fireplace was lit and provided a rush of warmth as I realized Enjolras had taken me to his bedroom. I turned to look at Enjolras who was closing the door. 

“Is this your room?” I asked, moving near the fireplace. 

“Yes, I hope it’s okay that I brought you here. This is probably one of the only places in the Palace where you can get complete privacy,” he explained as I stared into the fire. 

“Thank you,” I muttered. 

“You’re welcome. I have a few appointments that I need to attend to so I’ll be out for a few hours, but you’re welcome to say here and unlax. There’s a wide selection of books in here that you could read, or you could enjoy the view,” he continued. 

“Why?” I asked, suddenly remembering what he said to me while we were dancing. 

‘Why would I punish you for something I caused?’ rang throughout my head as I sat on the lounge chair in front of the fire.

“You’re important to me Ponine. If there’s anything I can do to help you I’ll do it,” he continued in his soft tone. 

“Thank you,” was all I could manage to say. 

“Of course. If you need anything, Lawrence will be outside the entire time that I’m gone. If you’re up to reading something I would recommend this,” he said, walking towards the bookshelves. 

He handed me an old book, so tattered that I couldn’t even make out the title. I took it from him like a child that had been scolded for misbehaving. 

“How did you know that I was worried about the guards?” I asked, staring at the tattered book in my hands. 

“When you were downstairs you said a name that I recognized from the Changing of the Guard. I was bored during the ceremony so I memorized the list of new guards in the program,” he said, sitting next to me. 

“Montparnasse is from my home province.”

“I see,” Enjolras said, clasping his hands together. 

“He’s friends with my father,” I continued. 

Why was I telling Enjolras this?

“Éponine,” he said, facing me. “I can have him transferred to anywhere in Illea. With all of the unrest between the lower and upper castes, it wouldn’t raise any alarms. We’ve begun transferring the guard to areas around Illea that are in the most unrest.”

“I-” I stammered. 

This was too good to be true. Enjolras could just make Montparnasse disappear? 

“You don’t have to give me an answer now,” he said, putting his hand on my arm. 

“I’ve learned what being impatient gets you. I’ll be back in a few hours,” he said, giving my arm a gentle squeeze.

I watched him get up and adjust his suit, not bothering to look in a mirror. He looked at me with a gentle expression before he left. It wasn’t a face of pity, like so many of the expressions I had seen since entering The Selection. His eyes were compassionate and his words were genuine.

“Thank you,” I whispered, still clutching the book long after he had left.


	25. Chapter 24

Enjolras 

For once, Javert’s speech on the national security of Illeá was the last thing I wanted to listen to. I was engorged in thoughts about Éponine and the state I had found her in after the lessons. She was obviously in some state of flashback or dissociation that involved a guard named Montparnasse. I remembered the way she looked at me when I began to call out her name. She looked at me like I was a monster. 

“Which strategy do you prefer, Your Highness?” Javert asked. 

Javert was asking if I approved of his plan to exploit newly drafted soldiers to control the riots in the provinces. Personally, I knew that the increase in military presence would show the lower castes that the Royal Family stood to protect the wealthier citizens of Illeá. 

“I don’t believe we should send the newest draft,” I stated flatly. 

My father sat up in his chair for the first time in months. At this point, his presence at these meetings was merely a formality. I had been leading these meetings for years. 

“We should send the last round since they’ve had time to train and gain experience. We can bring the newest recruits here to the palace for the ball to have increased security and serve as experience,” I said, unable to forget Éponine’s face. 

I couldn’t wait for Éponine’s response so I could make a decision. Her safety had to come first, even if she didn’t think so. 

“An excellent suggestion, Your Highness. I’ll begin the paperwork immediately,” Javert remarked, sucking his teeth. 

It was an odd relationship that we maintained. The Conservative General and The Progressive Prince- quite the role reversal. As I stood to leave I felt a familiar touch on my hand. My father had put his cane on my hand to grab my attention. 

“That was quite the order, Julien. I was imagining that you would demand General Javert to pull our men out of the provinces. I’m glad to see that you’re beginning to come to your senses,” he smiled. 

“I’m sure you are.”

“How did you find that lesson? Did the maimed girl stand up and twirl around the room?” 

“Liberty is completely paraplegic. She can’t just get up and twirl around,” I scoffed. 

“Whatever. Who are you sending home next?” 

“Well several of the ladies have shown to be incredibly skilled at dance, which will prove to be helpful during events. Honestly, Harley was quite the disaster. I’d worry about her offending foreign dignitaries with her ungainly dancing.”

“What about that Six?”

“Éponine? She’s a remarkably fast learner, and she excels in making conversation. There’s no reason for me to send her home.”

“Well after that stunt she pulled in Carolina I’m surprised she has the temerity to remain in The Selection,” he said, standing to pour himself a glass of brandy. 

“Yes the stunt she pulled by nearly getting trampled to death by a crowd,” I scoffed. 

“All women from the lower castes are attention seeking whores. She obviously didn’t think she was getting enough quality time with you-” 

“Well if that was her master plan then she’s the smartest person in this entire Selection. I don’t have time to tolerate your misogyny today, Your Majesty,” I said, leaving the room. 

Hopefully he opted to drink in his office tonight instead of dining in The Banquet Room. I thought about how the next hour would look before dinner was served. Would Éponine still be reading on the chaise in front of the fire? Or did she retreat back to her room the second I was in the meeting? I made sure my strides were long enough so that I’d get to my room quickly, but not too fast, as not to raise any alarms. Lawrence greeted me with his wrinkled smile. 

“She’s been as quiet as a mouse,” he greeted.

“Is that good or bad?”

“Find out for yourself,” he said, opening the door. 

To my surprise, Éponine was curled in a throw blanket nearly finished with the book I gave her. Her hair looked almost entirely auburn under the shadows of the fire. Was that her natural color or did the stylists dye it when she arrived at The Palace? She didn’t notice me enter the room and remove my jacket, probably because she was reading the plot twist that resolved the story. I decided to switch on the lamp behind her to announce my presence. 

“Enjolras,” she gasped, snapping her head up. 

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said, unable to hide my smile. 

“No, you’re fine. I’ve just been so engrossed in this book.”

“It’s been my favorite since I was a child, thanks to Combeferre.”

“You’ve known each other for that long?”

“Combeferre’s father was the chief physician at the palace for twenty years,” I said, looking at the photos on the mantle. 

One hour, I thought to myself. 

“How are you doing ‘Ponine?” I asked, sitting in a chair across from her. 

“Better. Thank you, again.”

“It’s not trouble. Your security is important to me.” 

She smiled awkwardly and I mentally cursed myself. 

“How was your meeting?” Éponine asked, most likely out of politeness. 

“It didn’t go how I had hoped, but that’s no surprise,” I said, rubbing my temples in frustration.

“Was your father being difficult?” 

“No, my father doesn’t normally even participate at these meetings. His presence there is merely a formality at this point.”

“Then why aren’t you King?” Éponine asked bluntly. 

“According to him I need to get over my rebellious phase and settle down.”

“Find a suitable wife,” Éponine asked quietly. 

“Apparently,” I sulked. 

“How has that been going for you?”

“As well as I had expected. I’m months in and I haven’t even kissed anyone. The press are restless.”

“Rude,” Éponine exclaimed, making me snap my head up towards her. 

“Pardon?”

“If the press is demanding it why don’t you just tell them about how we kissed? Or did you forget?” 

I smiled, realizing that I nearly had forgotten about that moment. 

“Here, stand up,” Éponine announced, throwing the blanket to the side. 

I watched her bare feet walk across the cold hardwood to the open space of my room. I meandered over towards her and stood several paces in front of her.

“You’re going to pick a girl to kiss at the Ball,” she declared with her hands on her hips. 

“Am I?” 

“You are. And I’m going to show you exactly how you’re going to do it. You’re required to dance with all of us, right?”

“It’s strongly encouraged,” I thought. 

“Let’s practice,” she curtsied. 

I bowed, kissed her hand, and took her waist, just like in the lesson earlier. The difference between Éponine’s dancing now was like night and day. She was calm and collected, although still slouching and missing steps. At one point she closed her eyes and smiled like she was in a dream. 

“As you spin her the last time, bring her closer to you than you usually would. Stare into her eyes and make some small talk.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Tell her how beautiful she looks and what a great dance partner she is. Build her up a little.” 

“And then what?”

“You dip her and when she comes back up, kiss her,” Éponine said as we did a sequence of box steps. 

I remained quiet for the next few steps while I thought about the last week without Éponine. I realized that in this moment, with Éponine in my arms I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. During the last week I had slept at most three hours a night, which had caused my mother and Ferre to chastise me more than usual. 

“Enjolras?” Éponine asked, looking at me with her doe like eyes. 

“Hmm?” I asked.

“You stopped dancing.”

“It appears that I have,” I noticed, realizing I was holding Éponine far closer than deemed appropriate in ballroom dancing. 

I let her spin out and back into my arms without taking my eyes off of her. She gave me an encouraging smile as I began to dip her. 

“Do you want me to actually kiss you?” I asked, making sure she was okay with it. 

“Don’t you need the practice?”

I felt my heart begin to race as I stared into her eyes. Should I close my eyes? I thought of how Courfeyrac always described his exploits with his ridiculous faces. Ridiculous, yet surprisingly helpful at the moment. Éponine closed her eyes and I quickly followed suit. I nearly missed, as my lips were a tad too far left which caused my nose to bump against hers. Even with my eyes closed, I could hear the crinkling of Éponine’s smile as she maneuvered her mouth into position, tilting her head so that our lips could meet. She began to giggle. 

“Maybe don’t do that at the ball,” she smiled, standing up straight. 

I felt all of my blood rush to my face in embarrassment. 

“It’s okay,” she said, putting her hand on my arm. 

“If you need me, I’ll be casting myself off of the roof,” I moaned. 

“It looks like we both have something to work on,” Éponine smiled. 

“Your dancing was actually much better than earlier.”

“Too bad I can’t make everyone turn around while we dance.” 

“I’m sure I could arrange something, or do you doubt my powers?” I smiled. 

“I doubt very little when it comes to you, Enjolras. In fact there’s only one thing that comes to my mind,” Éponine said, picking up the book. 

“What’s that?” 

“You’re ability to take care of yourself.”

“Well now you sound like Combeferre,” I tisked, glancing at my watch. 

“What time is it?” 

“Quarter till six. Will you be attending dinner with the rest of The Elite?” I asked.

“I plan on it, which is why I should probably go back to my room so my maids don’t throw a fit. Miriam would probably faint if I went to dinner like this,” she said, motioning to her hair, which had partially fallen out of its braid. 

“Would you like an escort back to your room?” 

“I think I can manage, but thank you,” she said, placing the book back down. 

“You're more than welcome to take that back with you so you can finish it. You won’t know the whole story until you finish the last page.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, beginning to walk towards the door. 

“Éponine,” I called. 

“Yes?”

“If you’d like, I can rearrange my schedule for the rest of the week so you can practice.” 

“I think I would like that. Thank you Enjolras,” she said before opening the door and walking back to her room.


End file.
